I call them my Star Committee
Ancestral souls who, for reasons of age or temperament
Flew to other side of darkness before me.

Some went suddenly, some went slowly
Some went without warning, others not
All went willingly and with purpose

I want to honor them, legacies living still
Our soul web is still strong
They whisper, yell and cajole
Nighttime is busy in their court

Stand up, they say, you are now the front-runner
You, and the others we are guiding
I say yes to them, I thank them for their patience

I hurry to their gardens, nurturing what is left
of the plan we had, praying that I can hear them well.

To put my sorrow at their leaving
In their nurturing laps sometimes crosses my mind
But they say no, use it for the dream we dreamed
together before time started
You are old enough and kind enough now.

© CARMELLA WEINTRAUB, 1998