For John

O bard of ancient splendor,
Is your Mission accomplished?
Say it's not so,
As the north wind blows,
And my windows rattle and shake.

I feel your power there.

Are you gone
Even as I write?

No, oh, no!
My howl of grief
Would surely
O'erpower the wind!

Never again to see
Your eyes lifted high
To call down the Spirit.

Never again to see you
Transform'd before my eyes.

Never again to hear
The old and new
Meet and meld within you.

To say I would miss you
Seems insufficient.

Words!
So elusive!
So hollow!

Though I do my best
To manipulate them,
How can they possibly
Say what I feel?

You,
In your wisdom,
Would know.

If you must go,
Then may it be
To a place of great beauty
And resonance,
Where your voice
Will resound forever.
May the world still hear it
In the wind,
The thunder,
The roar of the ocean!

I will go and seek you there,
And in the night sky,
Where the star that is you
Shines bright.

C.P. Warner
© 9 January

To think it meant
What I feared it must,
When I met you
In my dreams!

Such prescience
I have never desired,
But without it,
The News
Would have come as a shock.

You are gone from Sight,
Gone from Hearing,
Become that Star in the Sky
I promised to look to
Not long since.

This day,
I cannot look to the Sky,
As the Sun shines bright
And mocks my grief,
And the Whipping Wind
Brings not your Voice
To my Ears.

I try
To bring you
Back to Life
But somehow
It isn't the Same.
Cold stereo,
No Life,
No Breath,
But I'm grateful
This much
Is left of you.

My mind's eye
Conjures the Vision of you,
The one I saw
Just days ago.
Healed.
Smiling.
Still just a bit shy.
Coming into your own.
Letting me know
All was well with you.

Who am I
To be so honored?
I,
Who dared
To speak to you once.

Just once.

O, if I could go
Back to that Day,
What on Earth
Would I say to you?

Nothing
You don't know now,
And I bless your Soul
For blessing mine.

C.P. Warner
© 26 May 1999

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