Dear Death, I am Against You

Death,
We don't know each other, though I have seen you before, in the fate of friends. I know you are an inevitable part of life, that I should just accept you, the way I accept rain and oxygen. And sometimes, I can accept that you are like rain, soft, necessary, productive. Without death, where would the cycle of life be?
No, death, I am not talking about your kinder, inevitable side. I'm talking about when you show up where you know you don't belong, in the lives of children, the young, the healthy. Where life could go on perfectly well without you.
I don't say this for myself, as I have been blessed in my life. No, I speak for friends whose lives you have shattered by arriving suddenly, seemingly without warning, wreaking havoc on perfectly lovely people who have done you no wrong.
Death, isn't it time for a lovely vacation, say maybe in some place cold and sparsely populated, some place where you couldn't hit anyone with your deadly glares because no one lives there? Some place not here, not near the people I love and care for.
Just take a break, death. I know, inevitable, cycle of life, yadda yadda yadda. You'll be back. We all know that. We know. We won't forget about you. It'd just be nice if we didn't have to be reminded of you each day, every day.
Death, we need a few days off.

Blogging is Dead! Long Live the Blog!

Otterbutt was sitting on my couch yesterday (I know! I love Spring Break!), and she mused that perhaps the era of the blog was over, a victim of Facebook.
So, is blogging so 2005?
Maybe. But I was looking back over old posts, and if I hadn't blogged, I wouldn't have written down things that Son said, little ideas I had. I have them here forever. Is that a good thing? I think so.
Blogging allows for longer musing on ideas, and brief glimpses into each other's lives. I always look forward to reading what my friends (and strangers too) are thinking about, doing.
Facebook is fun, good for finding long lost friends, looking at pictures of other people's adorable kids. Wasting time on quizzes and what not.
I'm not ready to let go of the blog yet.

On the Death of a Neighbor

I think this one is self-explanatory. I didn't know what to do, so I made muffins and wrote this poem.

When I came out of my house, he would be there
I had to stop myself from saying always
in the mornings, after snow or rain, there

Then suddenly he’s disappeared, he’s nowhere
and I will have to find another way
to come out of my house and find him there

More than fences & sidewalks that we shared
the simple waves or funny things he’d say
in the mornings, after snow or rain, there

And how to tell my son he won’t be there?
Hola Fernando! my son would wave
When he came out of the house, his friend was always there

My son pretends not to, or doesn’t know how to, care
but soon enough he will find his way
in the mornings, after snow or rain, there

His being gone surrounds us everywhere
No other day will be just like today
When I come out of my house, his absence will be there
in the mornings, after snow or rain,