Between moonrise and sunset o’er the evening star,
moment by moment appear heaven’s lights afar.
Each gently unveiled by oncoming night.
Each being freed for our curious sight.
Each it is said is another who died.
Each it is said is a tear held inside.
If it were true that each soul lights the night,
if tears still unshed were to add to that light
the sky would be brilliant and night turned to day
since death cruelly touched you and took you away.
All would be blinded by the light of your soul
and an ocean of tears would add to that toll.
But love’s not a thing which we see with our eyes
and our tears cannot hurt us out or inside.
Remember instead as you gaze at the sky
love is eternal and cannot ever die,
and moment to moment love appears from afar
between moonrise and sunset o’er the evening star.

For Hermia Lawson Gallagher,
my beloved mother.
8/18/16 – 9/19/94