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
Embraces still tingling
In their cells
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
Stretch farther than the eye
Can see
©2026 Charlene E. Green
2 comments:
I've spent so much time with crayons, the line about Crayola red eyes really caught me up. This color for roses, hero capes, certain berries and birds changed into something that would have to be used to show/ color grief in the human eye. I was going to say adult but paused because the eyes of children and teens know grief too. Thank you for your thoughtful sharing. Strung together this poem rings as a well crafted line of love.
Thank you so much!💜
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