Mortality
written by: Sheila Henry
@sheila_henry17
The dreaded phone calls are regular now,
early morning callers with grim tones spreading the news.
So and so passed on last night. Did you hear?
Friends and relatives in a particular age group,
they are falling like hollowed trees in the forest.
News that’s never easy to hear—heart breaking
to lose those you hold dear, and when it’s news of a friend, even more.
You think of your own mortality, of when you will enter that door.
You wonder how you would respond to the inevitable roll call when it nears.
Do you fear the unknown or what would happen when you are gone?
But have no fear and do not weep; know that your best has been complete.
I pat myself on the back for making it this far,
sometimes faking it to survive, or working out to be more alive.
Life is like a roller coaster with ups and downs and hurdles all around.
It can be easy at times and challenging the next.
I constantly change course to stay afloat with a positive outlook
and quiet mind to make it work.
Even though there are times I’ve felt I didn’t belong, and
this land is not my permanent home, I LOVE it here.
I’ve heard of a different world where angels fly.
A place way up high where harp music is a lullaby,
and colors are a kaleidoscope. They say
you meet your ancestors there, I am guessing
the ones who were kind and good and kept God near.
Once the breath I have carried for so long escapes,
there is no turning back, only forward I will march. In the meantime,
I keep moving, because there are many more steps to take,
and much more living in the seasons ahead to make.
My goal is to live well and love more—mortality can wait.
- Mortality - November 5, 2024
- Repentance - September 13, 2024
- Inspiration - June 11, 2024
