a body lies there,
real enough -but it doesn't represent the man
who changed a thousand lives
with his smile and love.
a man i never met,
but through the effect he had on others,
and they still receive me as family.
what does one say
to a grieving widow and her children?
what does one do when listening
to her crying as her great love lies
in the casket?
Nothing.
There is nothing to do
but join in the grief,
relive stories,
keep the memory alive
of a man i never met.