A Timely Passing

[bluegypsea]

(I'm not sure if she'll appreciate this -- for most of the family, English is not the first language. Still, it's yet another thing to offer, and I don't know how much time we have left -- such is why this is a little rushed. Critique especially welcome, not because I'm a masochist, but because, if I am offering this, this has to be at least competent.)

Driving home, the rains
foreshadowed that afternoon
by distant cracks of thunder
finally fell, as if
to match our tears. But no! Our God
wept only once.
That night, he was rejoicing,
watering his earth, granting his creatures
new life, sweet mercy.

Tita, heaven is the canopy
of the little grove behind
your sister's kitchen. The stars
are the blossoms of the dragon fruit trees,
the walls are the leaves, the foundations the suha fruit,
and the mansions of the hosts
the nests of fire ants.
Cloaked in the red of bruises, you
who were once our sister, our aunt, our grandmother,
are now uplifted, are now crowned
queen of the brood, mother of Zion.

I know you've seen this before,
perhaps when you were washing the dishes
after last month's fiesta, the one which celebrated
the founding of the barrio. That is why you don't weep.
That is why God chose you.

Wow.  This is really amazing... it evokes so many emotions and such powerful imagery that it moved me almost to tears.  I really think your word choice and language use in this poem is excellent.  Such a strong feeling of sadness, yet triumph towards the end.  Thanks for sharing!

~blue