Wife and two kids.
A quote that he knew
the difference between
a life of importance
and a life of significance.

Some old photos of college days.
New Orleans before Katrina.
Drinks with friends
who remained in touch
or drifted away on life's tide.

Fill me up with love.
I hear the music
and I cannot help but wonder
about the meaning of the loss.

Am I supposed to learn a lesson,
or is the lesson for others?
Sometimes I think I'm reading a book
that's written in a different language,
and I really don't know the story at all.

Wife and two kids.
That's what brings it into focus.
That's what makes me consider the reason
of a life denied its rightful length.

And it forces my mind to corners of the Earth
where pain is ever-present,
where struggle for survival
is far beyond what I can imagine,
and sadly beyond my daily recognition of it.

We lost you this month, friend.
We lost others, too.

Godspeed to those who remain
on this blue miracle in space,
seeking lives of significance.


(c) 2015 by Vincent Lowry