February 11th, 2013 1 Comment

a week of love stories: today, “the last kiss”

As a special for Valentine’s week, I thought we’d take a pause from our usual color palettes to celebrate love stories-stories between couples, friends & family. To begin the week I wanted to start with a poem from my father to my mother. My father and mother met when they were in kindergarten, married at age 21 and 20 in 1954 and celebrated 56 anniversaries until my mother’s passing in 2010. My mother had Parkinsons for nearly 20 years and my father cared for her day in and day out at our family home and was at her side when she passed one Sunday morning in the month of November. At the end she couldn’t speak, nor really open her eyes, but he said right before her last breath she said clear as a bell, “kiss me”. So he did and she went quietly, with the love of her life and her best friend at her side. My father wrote two poems about this kiss.

Last Kiss

lips to lips love expressed
a deeper desire to share our souls
passionate  feelings now quickly confessed
intimate life included in our goals.
kiss me now so I can rest in peace
dying request from a life so true
suffering thwarted by this release
now in Gods hands a soul to renew.
holy grails have ended here and now
for a greater glory to ascend
belief in Jesus always a vow
love faith and trust to the very end.

 

 

A Kiss

days begin and end  with a kiss
a reminder of a love so true
facing the unknown in rapture bliss
struggling for time our life renew.
together we can navigate our lives
always planning and forging as one
even if a family arrives
tasks of tedium and fun still done.
friends and partners to the very core
life and love shared as we struggle on
based on wonderful years and wanting more
sealed with that kiss when day is done.
by
Richard T. Butler
I also wanted to share a part of another poem he wrote after her passing, which I just love and find so true: “When an angel takes flight it becomes impossible to play the melody of life with broken heart strings. ” – Richard T. Butler
mom & dad on white.001
Special Note: the beautiful calligraphy above is by Gail Brill. Gail is also our weddings contributor for the month. See her posts each Wednesday in February.