Message and Poems from Claudia

Claudia sent me this message last week just after Mark's birthday and she wanted me to post this for today - one year after Mark passed on.

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Hello, Aaron: I was drawn to the blogspot last evening, and thrilled with the "Happy Birthday" entry. How ironic that the first year
comes to a conclusion with Mark's birthday on Palm Sunday, and the date marking his death on Easter. It is ponderous to
to consider that we are remembering the last week of Mark's life during the same span of time honoring the struggle of the First Son.

Bruce and I plan to mark next Sunday with a hike to the national forest to lay a heartstone at the cowboy's prayer tree. It is a
sequestered spot with a beautiful view of the area. We will follow that with a balloon release from our deck. Kristen will release
a balloon in Denver simulatneously, we hope. Perhaps some of you would like to do the same, lifting up his memory in that way.

I would like to post two of the poems from my collection "Writing Towards Equilibrium: A Mother's Journey" to acknowledge the healing process. Again, thanks to all for remembering Mark's birthday.

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[These poems were inspired by the many days that Claudia spent in her workroom sorting and organizing artifacts so that Brody might know his uncle. A process she dreaded at first was actually very beneficial.]



Discovery

Opening the box

marked “memorabilia”
I hesitated,
knowing that your childhood
would be revealed before me.
On top,
and covering all
as it had been
for the first wondrous years of your life,
was “blanky”
tucked gently down at the corners
concealing the pearlized satin binding
frayed from the rubbing of your tiny fingers
from the sucking of your perfect lips.
I lifted it gently
found a corner
and held it to my cheek
expecting
a connection, perhaps,
a warmth,
comfort.
Yet even as I opened and held
the blanket, full length,
against my heart,
it had no warmth
no precious baby smell.
Of course.
It was never my comforter.

Laying it aside
I lifted and admired
piece after piece
of the completed puzzle
you became.



Still Life

Painful at first
this task of
sorting
and
ordering
photographs
that captured moments
of a too-short life.
Yet as each multi-colored
square and rectangle
took its place
on pages of the albums


friends
family
mentors

the river

drumsets
keyboards
recording equipment

the river

cars
boats
campers
cars
boats
tents

the river

you lived
once again
to show me
to teach me
to help me understand
and,
most important of all,
to make me laugh.


~ Mom

Happy Birthday, Mark

Wish you were here.