This poem is in honor of a professor (actually the former president) of my college.  I got to the college in 2003, and Dr. Gail Terrell had already been sick for some time.  After about a month, he passed away from complications in the hospital.  I went to his funeral knowing nothing of him but the reputation that he had with the others there.  I had never met him, but I was moved by the funeral, so I wrote this poem about it.

October 14th, 2003

Hi
I never met you
I don’t really know why I’m here
I’ve heard so much about you
This is so uncomfortable

Everyone here is in tears
Some have smiles
Some can’t show their face

Look at her up there
She’s heart-broken
Trying to be strong in all this
She says fine, but we know, she’s torn inside
I can’t imagine

Half of her is missing
Half of her heart, half of her body
The unity is gone
She’s been broken
Tears fall and water the earth

Where are you living now?
In a castle of sunflowers
Glowing with the brilliance of
The One who stole your heart so long ago?
Are clouds surrounding you now?
Or are you living in the very hand of God?

Wow, I can’t believe I’m starting to cry
I never even met you
The ones close to me are grieving
I don’t know why
They do

You fed their minds
You touched their hearts
You encouraged their souls
Their tears fall and water the earth

The children are here too
I never knew them either
They hold their hearts in their hands now
Tears fall and water the earth

Goodbye
I never met you
But your hand has touched my heart
Just like everything else

 – Sarah ><>