Poet’s Corner: Obituary
I wrote your obituary today.
I told the truth
But not the whole truth.
I wrote the truth that we all tell each other
and others and post on Facebook walls and in Newspapers
I didn’t write the truth we keep in our hearts.
I didn’t write about the battles we fought together and alone.
I didn’t write about the secrets we kept from others and from ourselves.
I didn’t write about the truths we humans don’t want others to know.
I wrote about your accomplishments
I wrote about the love others had for you I wrote about the public face we all show the world.
But, I didn’t write about your incandescent eyes
I didn’t write about your caring soul I didn’t write about the wry tilt of your head When I was being ridiculous.
I didn’t write about the words we spoke in the night.
I didn’t write the truths we admitted to each other in the early morning light.
I didn’t write about our sins, our faults, or our failings. I didn’t write about the daily struggles we faced in a world consumed by desire and evil.
I wanted to write about the heartache of a string of days without you.
I wanted to express the pain of loss
I wanted to tell the world that you were the best person I ever knew.
I only told them what they wanted to hear.
Copyright ©2023 Richard M. Georges
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Richard M. “Rick” Georges is a solo law practitioner in St. Petersburg and a published poet. He has authored the “FutureLawyer” column in various publications, has taught law office management and computer-assisted legal research at the college and law school level and has taught poetry at the college level. His book Life is Simple, Really – Poems about Life, Loving, Fun, and Family, reflects his belief that those things are more important than anything we do in our professional lives. Read his blog.