At the table a chair sits empty
And there’s a big empty seat on the boat.
We see a pew that’s empty each Sunday,
An empty hook where he kept his coat.

At the store his chair stands empty.
An empty handshake offers no greeting.
Empty hugs from a loving grandpa,
Just a recliner where he sat reading.

An empty bed looms at evening,
His silence amplifying the stillness.
There’s a void in the places we knew him,
An emptiness – full of his presence.

A presence of love for his family,
A love that cherished his friends.
In that presence we still hear his wisdom,
And feel the kind touch of his hands.

As in life his presence still beckons
And calls us to live full and free;
Redeemed by the love of the Savior,
The people God called us to be.

In Loving Memory of Byrnes L. Poston
©1974 Michael S. Davis