RIP Laura 24.12.1963-25.12.2006

Song for my sister


This feeling is instrumental
There is no part for a voice
To sing above the bass notes
Of loss, and bring you joy

The chord of our childhood
Evokes memories that, spoken of,
Might bring you cheer or,
Conversely, accent the interval
Between health and suffering

Like the advent of a birth
Pregnant melodies swirl in the brain
Inevitable, yet struggling toward a form
And carrying the cadence of doubt

What lyrics can I sing to soothe
Your pains and calm your fears?
There are none that can fit this key
Shift to more harmonious tones.

History is a staff dense with the notations
Of a life. Each bar a measure of being.
In the absence of words, let me sing to you
The tunes of our childhood, humming softly
Through the night.

Of fire and snow and candlelight,
Of love and dreams and babies’ breath
Arpeggio of moments to comfort us

In the absence of words, let me sing to you
The tunes of our childhood, humming softly
Through the night.

© Deb Matthews-Zott