Your eyelashes moved the

air between us.

The lids which carried them

would swing open and shut…

open and shut.

 

And there, soft blue would

circle the light within you.

That little light of yours

that did shine…

did shine on us.

 

When we were with you

lower loves were called up

to the higher one.

Agape’ would surface…

it would surface in us.

 

Your family would see

your smiles spread across.

Sometimes you would

lend them to the rest of us…

to rest on us.

 

A language from above

you would speak.

A coo of your own tongue

would rise with our questions…

rise above our questions.

 

Without a first step,

without a framed embrace,

without a formed word,

you spoke to our lives…

spoke into our lives.

 

And we slowed down

down to our being

where the still small voice is

that voice you heard

that voice we hear.

 

And when sleep came,

it came so sweetly and

air slipped in and out and

God held our breath…

God held our breath.

 

For the Webb family

in honor of Aiden Josiah Webb

April 1st 2011

 

 

© Gerald Allen Barrett and parentheticallyspeakingin3d, 2012.


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10 responses to “When Sleep Came”

  1. John M. Barrett Avatar
    John M. Barrett

    amen

  2. Phyllis Ferguson Greene Avatar
    Phyllis Ferguson Greene

    Jerry,

    My eyes, my ears, my heart, my whole self was brought back to that little room where we all sat around that precious child. The memories are so sweet and the words reminded me again of the closeness of those people who were touched by that little guy. His short life touched even more than those there. Wherever he went, people were quickly brought in to the circle of the touch of God’s love. Thank you for helping us all to remember those moments!
    …Phyl

    1. Jerry Avatar

      Thank you Phyllis, I remember our time together hanging close to Aiden and his family.

  3. claudia Avatar

    god held our breath…really jerry…this gave me goose bumps… i just love the gentleness you touch that with..

    1. Jerry Avatar

      Maybe I will link with d’verse. I am off work tday.

  4. Peter DeHaan Avatar

    Well done — as always!

    (The logical part of me — which is most of me — appreciates the consistent 5 line format and how the last two lines of each stanza played off each other.)

    1. Jerry Avatar

      Thanks for stopping by Peter.

  5. Shawna Avatar
    Shawna

    I am so taken by this: “Your eyelashes moved the air between us” … and the ending.

    1. Jerry Avatar

      Thanks for stopping by Shawna

  6. brian miller Avatar

    and god held our breath..that is an awesome close to this…we slowed our being…that too and that is a discipline for sure…

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