Today, we ran in the park, Martha and I.
We faced each other across the grass,
Intervals from shade to sun.
We ran ourselves to sweaty breathlessness.
Done, we walked in panting silence.
Up the hill in the shade of trees.
Through the little metal gate and into open sunshine.
Heat hovering over stillness.
As we walked the tide of grief rose to meet us.
At the carved white stone it mingled with us.
A soft and gentle pain today, jagged edged sadness smoothed by time.
We sat with our backs to the stone and cried in the sunshine.
Butterflies and crickets attended us, undisturbed by our remembering.
Slowly, we returned to bodies stilled by peace.
We walked back down the hill hand in hand.