What's on my heart

Today is the first year anniversary of our national director passing away at age 52, and also it's his wife's birthday. She's still in Japan with us and is, once again, my line manager, so we work closely together at times. (Here was my post about his death last year.)

I've had an unusually emotional day, not entirely because of this anniversary, but definitely this lay heavily on my mind and heart. And I'd done something entirely out of the ordinary for me. I've written a poem. I don't write poetry, or read it. I have no idea if this freeform verse is of any use to anyone, but it is what has lain on my heart today and it seemed to be a good way to express some of my feelings.

Dates
by Wendy

Dates: they pile up

First there was a birthday, mine.
That's all I knew.

Then I learnt others in my family had them too.

Soon other dates marched in my door:

The date school started, Christmas, family holidays, and the day school finished for the year. 

Then I began to collect dates that weren't so nice:

Exam dates, the day I had to say goodbye to my old school. 

Leaving home, goodbye to friends,

The date that marked the first time someone I knew died. 

My family expanded and there were new dates to celebrate:

Births and milestones, other's joy multiplied my own.

But sorrowful dates weren't far behind.

More farewells, more change,

More awareness that what we have is so temporary,

That our current joy can be marred at any time by more sorrowful dates that keep marching in.

There is no end, indeed, on this sad earth. 

The dates keep piling up and I can no longer keep up

The worst are the farewells that can only be marked as "thank you for what you were".