El Ojo del Lago

SYGENE
28 September 1936  –  7 February 2011

I held her hand for hours,

Until I couldn’t anymore,

I kissed her goodbye,

And covered her face.

She taught me to love,

I didn’t believe I could,

A gentle touch, a soft tear,

A quiet cry in the night.

She taught me about courage,

Followed me to foreign lands,

Our infant child in her arms,

She couldn’t speak the language.

She taught me diligence,

She learned the language,

In the streets and markets,

Without aid of a teacher.

She taught me compassion,

Servants cleaned and ironed,

She taught them how to sew,

Gifted each a sewing machine.

She taught me about beauty,

Children, animals, flowers,

And she gave me a glimpse,

Deep into her eternal soul.

She gave me a daughter,

Oh, what a glorious gift,

Together they taught me,

I too, am worthy of love.

And now, I have learned to cry.

Submitted by Robert Drynan