Bev was my sister. Before she passed away she asked me to write something for her service. I told her that meant everyone would have to suffer through one of my poems. She still had her biting wit, her sense of humor though. She said, “Good. Let em suffer.”

Anyway, I wrote this one for her....

___________

It strikes me that most of us fall short.

Potential, a star to be sought after, grasped even, seems so far,

And we so often claim it dormant, and never stretch or reach.

And leave a gap between who we are, and who we could be.

Life clouds the way.

The effort seems overwhelming.

So, we too often wait, for life’s gifts to alight perfect in our palm.

With monarch colors on a blue bird day

And then declare ourselves more beautiful, wiser, and even better somehow.

Like we had something to do with it.

Like we had a say.

But is life’s measure in the reach,

and not the gifts?

Is it how close we’re measured to our unique potential,

Whatever reach we’re able,

that marks us extraordinary?

If so; Bev measured close as a single mom

We can’t imagine each day she faced.

Stretching to her limit.

Reaching, striving, to potential’s star of what was best for, her son.

That latch keyed kid turned man.

Who now stands in evidence,

who stood on that potential’s star,

Reached; and won.

If so; Bev measured close her work.

Stretching to her limit,

Striving to potential’s star of what her career did in fact achieve.

Driven, to the edge of her capability

No, each day not perfect, but still, breeched.

But meeting her potential. That was the measure.

With co-workers now among us,

Who stand as evidence, as proof given.

Their shining eyes show job well done

For they saw her star’s career potential, reached.

If so; Bev measured close for friends

It’s here she met her potential.

And so few of us do, really.

she knew friends do not alight perfect in our palm

Monarch colored and on a blue bird day

But that friends must be earned, and are not given,

If we’re to have a say.

So friends know her potential’s star’s been reached,

these friends are now among us, And stand as evidence, proof given.

For their hands extend us gifted treasures,

That once unwrapped, revealed, are broken hearts.

They believe friendships furthest star of all, she faced.

And they know, God willing, with all loved ones,

They’ll join her star someday,

and meet her loving welcome,

and feel her love, embraced.