I’ll never forget
The night you died.
It had been
A beautiful day outside,
Unseasonably warm
For the second of May,
Your 88th birthday
Three weeks away.
Saw the chickens
On our block,
Filmed them, too;
The “Birds and Girls”
Even they loved you.
Hoped to show you
The film clip
You would’ve smiled to see,
But it just wasn’t
Meant to be.
I remember the things
We’d laugh about,
Doors you’d find
When others
Saw no way out;
The no-nonsense
Advice you gave:
How your courage
Made us brave!
The kindness you showed
To all whom you met,
Even people the world
Has chosen to forget.
COVID closed the Senior Centers
And Libraries down;
We still found a way
To have fun around town.
We’d ride anywhere
In that silver jalopy,
Fresh-air walks, shopping centers,
The Dollar Tree,
The fabric stores
On Jamaica Avenue –
You’d sew matching dresses,
One for each of us two!
Fort Totten
Was our “Happy Place” –
Army Reserve, Fire Department,
And Coast Guard training base;
Still, charm and splendor
Surrounded us there.
We could walk for miles,
We’d be walking on air,
By the river, the bird field
Paths we knew by heart,
An outdoor gallery of
Hashem’s works of art.
We’d sing HaTikvah
Together each day
Before I would be
Off on my way.
As your last day faded,
The night turned cold,
Hour by hour,
It looked bad, we were told.
In the hospital,
One foot on earth
The other in heaven,
Prayed so hard
To see that smile again.
When the last call came through
We instantly knew:
HaKadosh Baruch Hu
Had sent for you.
I’ll never forget
That solemn ride,
10:30
On the night you died;
The hospital had closed
But they let us through
To spend our last
Few moments with you.
Your respirator,
All the tubes unhooked,
I remember thinking
How beautiful you looked;
Your tapered fingers,
Your lovely face,
In the sacred quiet
Of that terrible place.
Your words now
Keep coming
Back to me,
The quiet faith and integrity.
It’s been nearly
One year’s time,
I miss you
Emmalika of mine.
I guess it’ll be nice
To hear music again,
But nothing’s the same
Since I lost my best friend.
I know that you’re happy
With loved ones
And Hashem,
That one day
I’ll get to see you again.
I’m thankful
I was granted
Your kind soul
As my guide:
Its light fills my heart
Since the night you died.
By Sharon Marcus
