Poem: The Day Before Thanksgiving

The Day Before Thanksgiving

Your grandfather was buried the day before Thanksgiving,
a cold, rainy November day,
numb-grey as you left the church
for the graveyard

that would hold his body,
but not his soul,
not his memory or the essence
of his life,

where you remember not this day,
but summer evenings fishing
on the mill pond, a silence of understanding,
and more, acceptance

that drenched your heart
with warmth that no November rain,
no death, no grave
can contain.

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My grandfather really was buried the day before Thanksgiving, maybe 15 years or so ago. Rather than a time of sadness, it has made Thanksgiving more special, almost like a day set aside to remember his life, and his influence on mine. The picture is of he and my two sisters when they were quite small. You can click on it for a larger version.

Tom