Reflections on a Memorial Service

We gather to celebrate
a life, we listen to music,
hear stories meant to draw
a portrait, read a poem,
We gather downstairs
and talk to people we
don’t know or people
we only see at occasions
For a moment we think
think this is all a mistake,
a dress rehearsal
We dunk a carrot stick in dip,
look at a tuna sandwich
and decide the mayo
sat too long to be safe,
eat cheese and crackers,
and select a sweet, then
another, decide against soda
We stand on line to hug
the one left, the one who
will go home tonight
with only a church bulletin,
the one who will wander
about the house wondering
if the house will ever feel full