Peering into the Dark

Friends and family line
up orderly, row by row,
to pay respect to the
widow’s dead husband.
Each peers and
pauses with reverence.
But the corpse is a
mirror, reflecting every
mourner’s face. That

glimpse into the grave

is deep and dark and

universal, but only

for a second. You
can’t hold your breath
that long.

On your way out to the

graveyard, life overtakes
shadow as you grip the

thin threads of tomorrow’s

responsibility. The widow
needs comfort, and courage

builds to conquer the deep

valleys ahead, to rise again

and plant a spring garden,
even when your hands

shake as you bend to

dig, and your tears fall

into the dark upturned soil.

Bonnie Saul Wilks
Lake City, Colorado