This poem is for anyone who has lost a loved one near and dear to them. Perhaps it was a friend. Maybe it was a parent. It could be a child or a spouse. When we witness death firsthand for the first time, it certainly changes us and brings new, and often, deeper perspectives to life. The sting of death can be lessened over time, softened by the anticipation of reunion and the promise of resurrection. Though it is true we were born to die, we welcome an eternity where death will cease and love and relationships will grow and flourish forever.
The Stranger
Before you passed, I did not know, this stranger we call death.
I only met him face-to-face, observing your last breath.
Before you passed, death was not near, so far removed from me.
And now I know him rather well, in fact intimately.
His mystery is gone for me, I clearly understand,
He is a necessary part of Father's sacred plan.
And now I mourn with those who mourn, and hear their tales too,
Of dear ones loved and missed so much, who've passed beyond their view.
I think perhaps when it's my turn, I'll see death as a friend,
Who comes and leads me by the hand, to be with you again.
