The Night of My Father's Funeral

It wasn't a funeral.

We celebrated his life
with eighty of his friends
and relatives
and extended family

Sad that he's gone
So glad he was here

It rained on and off all day.

That night I went to bed
with lightning outside
just beginning to flash
and thunder a deep, distant purr

But it built like a symphony
and by the time that the lightning
cut its brilliant spikes across the sky
and thunder boomed like Zeus himself

I went to sit in the sun porch
and drank in the downpour
and sang Amazing Grace
as my Dad said good-bye to me

Steve Schlich
for Vic Schlich
July 8, 2004