LINES FOR THE CHILDREN OF CY RIEF

 

LINES FOR THE CHILDREN OF CY RIEF

           25 October 1934--1 March 2023 

Some are named

and some are not.

I racked my brain

to remember Caín

running through the Kiva.

So much of Cy

belongs to Children’s Theatre.

I have a list of memories

written in my notebook,

and then, dream fragments

that pop in my head

while at the grocery store.

These children of Cy’s,

some named, some not,

these children bring me

closer to Jesus,

where Cy comes closest to me.

The day before he died

I sat on the floor by his bed

and read poems to him

from my notebook. This one

stays with me

to my dying day.

Karen has her own.

She was sitting out front

on the bulkhead

and Cy came over

and put his arms around her,

making Karen and Jim

two of Cy’s children, too.

Here are four.

Jennifer, Joe, Ana, Rachel,

family names taking us

to Rosemary and home.

There’s another list,

the list Cy kept.

He never saw any need

to write these names down

as if he were taking attendance.

Jim Bodeen

11 March 2023