Pauline Elise

You’d left us too soon, still having so much more to impart

To teach us
To guide us
To share with us

To embrace us
To comfort us
To provide for us

Always cherishing
Her parents and her siblings
Her nieces and nephews
Her husband and her babies
Even in the final hours of perishing

Afraid and concerned for us
Worrying and waiting for the return of us
However confident and discerning of us

Couldn’t lie to us
Couldn’t deny us
Would always laugh or cry with us

You were right, we’d never be ready for you to depart…

Words and images by Michael J. Hall