Requiem

Sculpture should be set In stone, not flesh Smoothed out unnaturally And cold as marble to the touch, So truly out of reach In this small room's Relentless silence.. Your mouth agape registering The moment of your death When the bubbly fountain Of your voice ceased suddenly And your sweet breath forever stilled. This is but a shadow Which must fade and which I am compelled to leave for burial. Not you, my love, no, never. I shall not fail, as Orpheus did, To claim you back from death With songs and gentle memories. We shall prevail, we shall prevail.