Member Poem

Mary,
a name that still lingers on the breeze,
like the soft rustle of autumn leaves
falling where the birds fly free.

I didn’t know you long,
but in that time,
you became more than a friend—
more than a passing figure
in a fleeting chapter of my life.
You became a grandmother,
and I loved you as such.

Your laughter,
a melody I still hear
when I close my eyes,
echoing through the years,
bright and warm,
like sunlight in winter.
You had a way with words,
with jokes that made the world
feel a little lighter.
Even in sorrow,
you knew how to make it sweet.

And then you were gone.
Not a goodbye,
but a sudden absence
that carved its silence
into my heart.
I grieved as if the world had broken,
as if a part of me had slipped away
into the shadows,
leaving me searching for what was lost.

Nearly ten years now,
but I still feel you near.
I see you in the birds
that glide effortlessly,
their wings cutting through the sky,
free in ways I can’t quite explain.
It’s as though your spirit
takes flight with them,
still soaring,
still with me.

I laugh when I think of your jokes,
how they filled the room
with lightness and love,
and I cry when I remember
that you’re not here to tell them anymore,
that the warmth of your presence
is a memory I must hold,
and hold tight.

Mary,
you are not forgotten.
Your love,
your strength,
your kindness,
they live on in the corners of my heart,
like a candle that never fades,
burning brightly,
even as time passes.

And still,
I think of you,
still miss you,
still carry you with me,
in the birds,
in the breeze,
in the quiet moments
when I remember your warmth,