Time Should Have Stopped

feeling like any other day

everyone should have to STOP

and take time to pray.

Walking into the funeral home

many familiar faces,

Aunt Josie grabbing my arm,

"Say goodbye to your grandpa...for the last time."

I pleaded and begged

"Leave me alone!"

"I want to remember him healthy

and breathing on his own."

She would not let go

tears flooded my face

To my surprise

she finally let go..with grace.

Seeing my grandma

so frail in her wheelchair

hanging onto my cousins hand

wailing, 'Why did you have to go!???!"

He was a sweet, gentle man

who would sit at his kitchen table

smoking a cherry pipe

in his big blue bib overalls.

He liked to ride his three-wheeler,

fish and eat,

go to his cottage

up in Hancock.

The service seemed long

it was packed as could be

a lot of people loved my grandpa,

I was proud to be family.

We filed out the door

~one~ by~ one~

into our cars

forming a train - making its run.

Off to the cemetery site

where the pastor read from the Bible,

I couldn't stand to see grandpa lowered

back into Mother earth- where we all must go.

Even though he does not breath

He will always live on,

as my dad's father ...my grandpa

fond...in our memories.

Written at age 19 or 20 years old