Jennifer

On November 19, 2010 an old, dear friend friend of mine passed away. It's been hard to swallow. And it's taken me time to talk about it without breaking down with the overwhelming sadness. I was unable to go to the funeral because it was in Georgia and I just wasn't able to get the time off and what not.

Anyway, I wrote a poem for her on the day that I found out and I thought I should share it.

We Are Changed

(For Jennifer)

There is a quite place

In a forgotten patch of woods

Where an abandoned deer stand

Remembers two young girls.

One is light haired,

The other dark,

One is tall,

The other short.

They used to come nearly everyday,

The magic drew them

Down leaf strewn paths

And over tiny brooks

To this place

Where they could share their secrets.

Nearby there is a tiny island

Nestled between two streams.

Here they spoke of God,

Of Nature, and those things most sacred to them.

They imagined other worlds

Full of magic and happiness

Where they could escape to.

They spoke of their dreams.

As they grew older,

The two became young women

And they came less

To their Holy Ground.

They became consumed by the Present

And began to forget.

Little things tore at them

And time went swiftly by.

They drifted apart

The bond growing thin

Until it broke.

But always

There is something there,

An invisible, silken thread

Anchored deep within the heart.

For they were changed

For having known each other.

A piece of each resides in

The other's soul.

No matter where we go,

No matter the distance or the time

That separates us,

We are bound

Because we have known each other

And we are forever changed.

And one day

We will meet again

In that quite place

In the forgotten patch of woods

Where the abandoned deer stand

Remembers us

And all our secrets.

This poem can not even begin to encompass all that is and was Jennifer. She was quite but passionate. She loved deeply and was loved in return, whether she knew it or not. She inspired me and helped me to realize my dreams. I wish I had been able to tell her that.