The Longest Poem

The Longest Poem
(written on The Longest Day by Brad Anderson)

I rise alone before the dawn
The morning light has yet to come
The bed, cool where you would lay
Your covers, undisturbed

I recall your head upon your pillow
and being quiet not to wake you.
This morning I am quiet too, but just for myself
Long has it been since you were here

Far to the east, Eos mounts her chariot
Her raiment, flames of purple and gold
Four winged horses strain their harness
Impatient to bring the day’s light

Urging them skyward, glowing orb in tow
Eos masters horse and chariot
She guides their upward arc, a long day ahead
It will be her longest ride

Far below, I think of you
As I have each day for forty-one years
That first morning, so close together
This day’s morning, so far apart

Your eyes, clear blue-gray
In your right, a small patch of brown
How they could laugh and smile.
When we danced, I saw nothing else

What mattered most, I learned from you
Alas, I am a slow learner
You taught me with your patient love.
You are teaching me still

Partners on the journey
We learned life and love and living
Learning of living with you, was easy.
Learning of losing, has been much harder

Your smile was for everyone
You took joy in diversity
You enjoyed each person you met
And each of them enjoyed you

Your favorite penny whistle,
A friends handmade gift.
Simple and beautiful, you carried it always.
And with it music and laughter

Your dance ghillies miss the feet that wore them
My feet, miss your feet, too
They miss your highland flings and joyful jigs
They miss ‘The Peeler and The Goat’

Your hard shoes loved to clackety clack
Your dance shoes loved the waltz.
They loved the schottische, they loved the polka
And your feet…, just loved to dance

Calling the dance, was an act of joy
As you led the dancers, they felt the love.
Unrestrained exuberance, a joyful call,
And a loudly hollered “WOO_hoo!”

At the festival, the next tune began.
All eyes were on you, we wanted to dance.
We wanted to follow your lead,
We wanted to follow your dance.

Far above, Eos shifts the reins and eases their course downward
She had reached apogee, her journey’s highest point
It has been a long climb but they are only halfway
It will be a long ride home

They were ripples on your consciousness
Disturbances moving outward
Caused by a quake, we thought was a stone
Unprepared, the tsunami came

Forgetting the woman you became
Unlearning the person you were
Slowly at first, imperceptible
A name, a face, a family friend

Shadow dancing with who you were
Caring for the person you are
The dance has changed, the caller is new
Our love remains unchanged

At a friends, two Easter’s past
“Are you my husband?” you asked
I sat down beside you and said, “Yes.”
“Oh” you said with a questioning look, “I don’t know anyone here.”

Hand in hand you walk with me
Your world I cannot see.
Eos shines her light on my world
Does her light shine on yours

Becoming the child you were
Your journey crosses our grandson’s path
His mind drinks up knowledge in gulps
Yours unlearns what it knew

Your irrepressible spirit belies your fate
Mrs Monaghan’s lessons lay deep.
You played piano till your arm could not
The music, still makes you laugh

The tall grass sings its song to you
Grassland sirens call
The prairie spaces call to us
We long for the music that lives there

I have been falling, falling into grief
I was standing on the ground you held for me
When it fell away, I fell with it
The void opened beneath me

I took respite and traveled to a poets enclave
There, Willa’s home welcomed me
I was far way but ever were you with me
I carry you with me, always

Willa’s home, called to my poet
The prairie sang your name
I slept and dreamed in Moonstone
I held your Mooncoin tight

I carry it with me always
Round Connemara marble
One pence at its center
A penny for the moon

Far to the east, Selene mounts her chariot as her sister Eos retires in the west.
Her two winged horses champ impatience
Harnesses taught, they strain against the moon
The lunar orb is full tonight

You loved the prairie and the sun
But you are a child of the moon
It held a special magic for you
You were captured by its spell

The pale orb trails her chariot
A full moon on summer solstice
Brightest night follows brightest day
A Strawberry moons deep magic

As Selene rises in the east,
Your Mooncoin finds my hand
Thinking of you and holding it up,
I turn your coin three times…
Once for luck…
Once for life…
And most of all, for love…

The Longest Poem was written here from sunrise to sunset on The Longest Day, June 20, 2016.
The Longest Poem is an expression of love to raise awareness and understanding about Alzheimer’s. May my poetry be worthy of this cause. If you should wish to donate here is a link to my donation page at The Longest Day. http://act.alz.org/goto/LuAnnesClanTheLongestPoem
Our team is LuAnne’s Clan.

‘ #TheLongestDay #ENDALZ