In Memory Of....

by Amy Ballard Rich

Ghosts surround me,

sipping me down

with my coffee

as I sit on my deck

bathing in red spring leaves,

blossoms, flowers,

and new light green tips

of fir tree boughs

Sitting on my deck

is my homage to the fallen,

my 30-minute jog around the house

doesn't shake them loose,

the dust on my car

remembers their breath

The fallen dying alone,

maybe saying goodbye

into a tablet or phone,

now keep me company,

alongside my sips of coffee

My breath in and out,

still going strong,

tells me not to complain

that I cannot hug my friends,

or read a poem at a mic

The ghosts linger

on the rim of my coffee cup,

tricking my ears into hearing

a far-off lawn mower

sounding like a wheezing lung,

struggling on a ventilator

My stillness is my small homage,

my silence is my sign of respect

my breath is my reminder,

that although surrounded by ghosts,

I am still alive

* * * * *

Amy Ballard Rich's work can be found in many anthologies, including Mermaid Mirror and Milvia Street Art and Literary Journal. When not writing she can be found advocating for social justice, and hugging trees.