The Parting

A poem for my father.

My father has gone on a journey,
and I cannot follow him.
Across a sea of confusion, he set
sail in a frightened boat.
Lingering on the shores of his reason
and memory, I held a rope which
had its beginnings in shadows
of my childhood.
A fragile hold on the inevitable
departure.
Connected and disconnected , the waves
of thought rose and ebbed away.
Blue eyes search my heart and
All is understood between us.
A clasped hand, a shallow breath,
a moan as the rope slips from reach.
The peace of silence.

All is still. My heart beats like a bell.
Now my boat awaits for a different journey
across a tide of emotions,
a sea of memories.
Racing to keep him near and connected to me.
To find the photographs,
The small belongings
To remember.