Taste of legacy

San Francisco Theological Seminary - San Anselmo, CA. © tuttysan 2007

You won’t remember me for the things I gave you

but for those I didn’t take away;

not because I gave you freedom

but because I didn’t clip your wings.

You won’t think of the laughs I caused,

but of the smiles I left intact.

You will notice the messy rooms I didn’t touch,

the gopher holes I didn’t fill,

the hot meals I didn’t cook,

the crumbled dishes I didn’t break.

You will wish it were me

throwing that spatula from across the room…

stirring the pot;

but instead there will be silence

and perfection in the ways

I went by your life

leaving ripples but not marks,

taking nothing

but what I brought

and your memories

and your salt.

You could argue those are bruises.

I would venture you’ve been primed.

Listen carefully,

that’s the silence

of me gone from your life,

with nothing showing

but knowing smiles

and some tears

that taste of salt.

By tuttysan © 2011