To my Grandchildren, those great and beyond,
whom I will never meet

Know that I love you and have seen you in the eyes of your parents, when they were very small

I’ve heard your voices in the trees when the wind blows softly,
calling my name as I walk

I’ve seen your arms reaching out to me in my dreams,
as you cry “Papa” and then drift away

Your spirit is mine, as my spirit is yours; and no lifetime
can keep us apart

I watch over you now and will watch over you then,
whenever the need is great

I’m that voice you hear when you think no one else listens,
and no one else understands

And the heart that feels what you will feel
—when no one else seems to care

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2017)