Life Ever After by Michael Keshigian

We fill ourselves with memories,

fill our pockets with pictures past,

discard the moment and sketch 

our mindful canvas

with landscapes of happier times,

pin the bulletin board with posters

of portraits to mitigate the ache 

loss has provoked.

After the formalities, 

in the silence of our rooms,

we turn back the clock,

gaze upon the family album

and see ourselves in stages of growth

with those departed.

Time has completed its dutiful task.

We whisper a name then whisper good-bye,

words trail off and dissipate 

in the dark mesh of the unknown,

heard, perhaps, in that other dimension.

We imagine ourselves, many days from now,

visiting that dimension,

those balmy bastions beyond blue,

where loved ones reside

and rise from anointed seats

to complete the reunion.

But for now, time will continue 

to dictate our path

and mend a wounded soul,

as we ponder, the lives we shared

to help their lives remain.

Michael Keshigian’s tenth poetry collection, Beyond was released May, 2015 by Black Poppy Review.  He has been widely published in numerous national and international journals and has appeared as feature writer in over a dozen publications with 6 Pushcart Prize and 2 Best Of The Net nominations. (michaelkeshigian.com)