Sad.

It came home when I was talking with my cousins after the funeral.
It struck me that my cousin's yet unborn child would never know him.

This brought the first tears to my eyes.

I realized this child would never know the wonderful man
I knew as a child.

A sudden truth of mortality burned into my mind.
A simple truth I had never considered.

They would never go fishing with him.
They would never hear him roar and bellow.
They would never hear his exaggerated stories.
They would never hear him snore in his chair.

My silly bombastic grandfather was really gone.

No more seeing that awful disgusting chewed up stub of a cigar.
No more barely intelligible garble about nose drops.
No more watching him heavily salt and pepper cantaloupe.
No more riding around looking at bulldozers and semi trucks.

He was really gone and MY children would never know him.
He really is gone and I never told him goodbye.

Sad.

Want to comment on this Poetry? Sign up to Edit Red and you will be able to comment on Poetry and get access to: Upload your own stories and poems, get readers and their feedback, promote your work...