Dragged to goodbye
Row of vehicles
That spells
LOVE
Across its mile-long span
Drivers slow-crawl trailing one another
To the site where all their tears
Will meet for the first
And last time
Acknowledge and nod in confirmation
Of their similarities
No competition over
Drops' size or weight
Crayola-red eyes locking sporadically
Holding just long enough
To apologize for each other's loss
Salt-water-sopped faces
Struggling to make peace with
That last encounter
Words they didn't think
Would be final
Honoring how The Departed left them
So whole
Full of dopamine memories
Faith in humanity
But now cracked
Amid the strain of reality
The Departed's absence
Disrespectfully loud
Quietly savage
Taking a toll
None are prepared to pay
Yet here they are
Stalled at the booth
In no rush
To continue the journey
Without their beloved
Pull over
Say a prayer
For The Departed
For the ones
Left in shambles
And you
When time calls
For your departure
Let all roads leading
To your final resting place
Be clear
And may your line of love
Be longer than the eye
Can see
©2026 Charlene E. Green
