I speak to you, my child,
so you may let me go,
let me rise to the heavens,
where the angels await me.

I speak to you, my child,
so you know that I am at peace,
so you allow me to continue my journey,
where I am meant to be.

I speak to you, my child,
so you don’t hold me back,
so you let me run among the clouds,
where my path has only just begun.

I speak to you, my child,
so you set me free,
so you let me let go,
where my soul will finally be free.

Father, I have understood that letting you go
is to set myself free.

Father, here I light these five candles,
one to thank you for every gift,
one to thank you for every moment we shared,
one to honor all your sacrifices for me,
one for every inspiration and affirmation,
one to cherish every touch and every kiss.

Five candles that hold all the love you gave me.
Was it enough or not?
It was all we knew how to give.

I let you go.
Rest in peace.
I love you, Father.

For you who served
So others might live.
Some of you gave
All you had to give.
We lost some of you
And it broke our hearts
But, live or die you all
Stood up to do your part.

For those of you who served
When some could not go
You overcame obstacles
That we will never know.
But because you stood
And fought against villainy
You have an honored place
In our country’s history.

No stones can be stacked
High enough to balance
The mothers who lost
Their children in battles
And no speeches made
Can ever appropriately say
What your sacrifice has meant
To every one of us today.

I choose
not to step out
in front of the
oncoming truck
like some flighty
whitetail deer
beside a lonely highway
flat-lining through the Badlands

I hold the perimeter
respect the irrevocable
delineations of love
honor the ground
that roots
evergreen
place my trust
in lapis blue

"Changes"
Metamorphosis.
This is my epiphany,
To old self bid gone.

"Honoring"
The servant-hearted,
Selfless and genuine soul,
Sheer blessing to us.

"Unconditional"
The Almighty God
Loved me for all that I am,
A love so ardent.

"Levanther"
Such comforting wind
Sweeping off between my hair;
Here goes the chimes ring.

"Syllogism"
Great continuum,
Why such distance imposed
That wall between us?

"Cantor"
Oh that lone guitar,
Let me caress such old strings
And I'll sing sweet songs.

"Maktub"
The wheel of fate turns,
Made me search off the cosmos,
All leading to you.