This poem is dedicated to you, Dad.

It reminds me of the day you died – a day, and a time since, that I have pondered often these 17 years.  A day I’ll continue to recall, along with many other days – significant and seemingly insignificant – that were your gifts to me.

After Years  – by Ted Kooser

Today, from a distance, I saw you
walking away, and without a sound
the glittering face of a glacier
slid into the sea. An ancient oak
fell in the Cumberlands, holding only
a handful of leaves, and an old woman
scattering corn to her chickens looked up
for an instant. At the other side
of the galaxy, a star thirty-five times
the size of our own sun exploded
and vanished, leaving a small green spot
on the astronomer’s retina
as he stood in the great open dome
of my heart with no one to tell.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥