Jerry Grzech

A year has passed
reminders of you surround us
the tulips and lilies you
planted bloomed, the trees
you planted grew green in the
spring dew
we thought of you
but no tomatoes grew last
summer
without you to grow them
the sun rose and set hundreds
of times
without you
your kitchen chair sits empty
the worn spots your feet
rubbed into the living room
hardwood
mark your familiar place
your voice no longer fills the
air
your 60th wedding
anniversary passed without
you
your widow wept
your ashes rest on the
fireplace mantle
not forever, but for now
we're not ready to let them go
your photos, smiling and jovial
through decades with your
beloved wife and children
with your birth family and your
in-laws
who loved you as a
son
bring you back to us
if only in that moment
most of all, the memories of
you endure
in our minds
our love for you
endures in our hearts
for the ages
you're loved and deeply
missed,
by Judy, Lori, and Todd