(1) Norwood

Lovely friend, What can I say to you now That wasn’t said When we sat together On the sunlit shore of friendship? What tenderness of affection Can I offer you? What words of understanding Written in the poetry of my heart Can I convey to you? Does God give your eyes in heaven Earthly vision to see my tears? Does God reassure you There is nothing between us but love, There is no judgment, Only love, only understanding, Only longing to hear your voice In pleasant conversation. Car rides to concert venues, Sacred time at the zoo Talking soul language of hope, Summer sunlight listening to music And walking avenues of midnight college streets Of laughter and dreams, I’ll never forget your smile Or as Dylan says, “Your gentleness now, Which you just can't help but show.” What has time taken from us Except the ability to express how we feel In that repetition that is truth and friendship And undeniable love, But there was nothing about your existence And beautiful humanity That I ever experienced As anything less than genuine And from the heart. We often talked of spirituality And the returning of souls, And I know, we’ll meet again In a different place And in a different incarnation, Nothing will be forgotten Nor erased Until we continue Our prayer-like conversation, But tonight, lovely friend, I’m reading the Bible, Reading my poet hero King David, He was hunted like an animal By King Saul, He thought surely Saul Would kill him, But David wept When King Saul And his son Jonathan Perished together in battle, And King David sang Of his friend Jonathan, “Thy love to me was wonderful, Passing the love of women.” 2 Samuel 1: 17—27.