The Brightest Star Among Them – A Poem

* For Margaret Hood

When I close my eyes,

I can see you so clearly.

We’re sitting outside

and the light is flickering in the dark.

The air around us is warm

with the scent of food and fire,

strawberries and wine.

There is laughter

that hangs in the air around us,

a remnant from a joke or story

that has been told.

I still see that smile upon your face

and can hear the joy in your voice.

When I close my eyes,

that is how I see you,

caught in that moment of joy.

That you are gone from us

is unfair, someone’s idea of a cruel joke.

When I close my eyes,

you are caught in time

with a smile upon your lips

and laughter in your eyes.

If I blink quickly,

another memory of you

comes into the light.

When we first met,

you held out your arms to me

and wrapped me in a hug.

“I’m so happy you’re part of the family,”

you said to me.

“I’m so happy you found each other.”

You gave me a brilliant smile

and the room was lighter

because of it.

Your presence in our lives

made them more wonderful

than they had been before.

With my eyes open,

I look to the skies to see

if the stars are now shining brighter

because you are among them.