When I see you again, my heart will once more be wide Open.

Yes, I still love life, its sunlight and all the laughter…

But you left a void when your breath became the wind.

The animals you cherished—each purr and flutter, every gentle paw…

The foods you cooked…the pimientas, the calabaza con pollo…and oh, those frijoles!

The jokes that melted into laughter—and the silent gazes only you could give.

The music, the laughter, the joys, and the pain—each note and shadow laced with your spirit.

The way you playfully lifted your left hand—love shining in your smile.

The way you kissed Papi and the way you two swayed as you danced.

The blessing you gave as I left home- a shelter of love on my forehead.

The hush of your footsteps, the peace of your sleep.

The way you lingered by the window, reading the Word, lost in the light.

Your favorite apron—soft, familiar.

The way you walked to your doves—hands scattered with seed and tenderness.

The gentle shooing of chickens…oh my, the nicknames you gave them! 

The careful trim of Negrita’s and Lady’s nails, the way you fed the cats—

All the ways LOVE lived in your hands.

And yes, I still love life—all of it—

Yet a hush echoes inside me—since the day you became memory…

A song only my heart can hear.

A space unfilled, a longing that lingers—

One that only your key—

The shape of your love…

Can ever open.