A dear friend and client lost her battle with cancer last week. It has affected me deeply. I not only miss her joyful presence, but I also find myself pondering all of life’s greatest questions. Why do bad things happen to good people? What is the purpose, if any, of suffering? What is the meaning of life and why are we here? What happens when we die? These are questions our human minds may not be ready to answer. I felt compelled this afternoon to write a poem about my friend, and this is what spontaneously poured out:
For Arlene
My dear friend
just left this earth;
her playful spirit
suddenly
quiet.
And yet I see her red-lipped smile
in the fragrant plum that has just ripened,
and I hear her giggle
in the swish of green leaves
bowing to the force of the winds.
Her sadness sits in my heart,
and her laughter bubbles up from my belly.
Through her death,
I am reminded to
live—
to live from the depths of the earth,
to live in the chatterings of a squirrel,
to live in the sweet smell of a single breath.
Savoring all,
I find
there is too much beauty
to take in all at once.
I must parse it out,
a morsel here and there,
and share it with everyone
who is willing
to notice
that Life is a gift, barely unwrapped,
then taken away.
-Lori Furbush
