Stones

Tears for the mourning,
Two departed in one week is more than I can hold.

This grief, it comes and goes.

Like walking on old paved stones
brick laid a century ago
fired in a kiln, then
a kneeling workman sized and placed in the ground
now in this afternoon light,
I gaze, snap, and pass over, leaves collecting in the seams. I feel the weight of history. Then I move on.
They are moving now, too,
their feet are treading a paved way,
in a city I've only read about,
where the streets are paved with far better stones,
their eyes see with a far better light.

Sister Ruth, brother Jack.
When they met Him, did they run? Laugh and bow?
No over-shoulder-looking-regret
in this new city, no.
Only a Sun to look upon, only a King's arms into run.

I hold onto the hope that they are home.

Sadie, by Joanna Newsom

Sadie, white coat, you carry me home
And bury this bone and take this pine coneBury this bone to gnaw on it later
Gnawing on the telephone

Until then, we pray and suspend

The notion that these lives do never end

And all day long we talk about mercy
Lead me to water, Lord, I sure am thirsty
Down in the ditch where I nearly served you
Up in the clouds where he almost heard you

And all that we built and all that we breathed
And all that we spilt, or pulled up like weeds
Is piled up in back and it burns irrevocably
And we spoke up in turns 'til the silence crept over me

And bless you, and I deeply do
No longer resolute, oh and I call to you
But the water go so cold
And you do lose what you don't hold

This is an old song, these are old blues
And this is not my tune, but it's mine to use
And the seabirds where the fear once grew
Will flock with a fury and they will bury what'd come for you

And down where I darn with the milk-eyed mender
You and I, and a love so tender
Stretched on a hoop where I stitched this adage:
"Bless our house and its heart so savage"

And all that I want, and all that I need
And all that I've got is scattered like seed
And all that I knew is moving away from me
And all that I know is blowing like tumbleweed

And the mealy worms in the brine will burn
In a salty pyre among the fauns and ferns
And the love we hold, and the love we spurn
Will never grow cold, only taciturn
And I'll tell you tomorrow
Sadie, go on home now
And bless those who've sickened below
And bless us who have chosen so

And all that I've got and all that I need
I tie in a knot and I lay at your feet
And I have not forgot, but a silence crept over me
So dig up your bone, exhume your pine cone, my Sadie"