My eldest
My furthest
One of my best friends
But far away she’s flown
(All the way to Cleveland even!)
I remember
On the day our son was born
When she stood aside
And quietly asked me not to forget about her
And yet
I slowly forgot about
Everyone
Myself
My wife
My son
My God
And my daughter
My eldest
She quietly retreated into books
And then noisily into music
And then quietly again when headphones arrived
Then off to foreign lands searching for names
Scattered across the internets
We didn’t even know where she had gone
The day she left home
I think she found someone
Who always remembered her
They will marry this summer
She’s found a new family
A new home
Far away
(Cleveland even!)
But no matter how far away she goes
When I think of her smile
Her humor
Her joy in simple things
Her fascination for words
And the mundane histories of
Interconnected foods
And the way she says yes
To things that are new
When I see the sun
Break through the clouds
I remember her smile
Bursting behind her troubled eyes
She is one of my best friends
And she is far
Far away
But I will never
Forget about her
