You’ve seen them after the accident
Flowers, stuffed animals, solar lights
A memorial for someone taken too soon
The glitter of glass on black asphalt
As above, so below
At first these tragic displays overflow
Friends, family, coworkers
Leave crosses, notes, stuffed animals
As time passes it diminishes
Until only a dutiful loved one
Stands roadside with fresh flowers
And a new set of solar lights
The hum of the passing traffic
Raising the hairs on their necks
The precarious nature of life
The uncertainty of a vigil
So close to the very hurtling weapons
That caused the death
Creating the emptiness
Now filled with trips to Home Depot
And Hobby Lobby
Do we leave a bit of ourselves in passing
Like haunted houses
Grandma is gone
But the smell of her cooking
The lilt of her songs
The rocking of her chair
Move in and out
Like exclamation points
On moments of longing
Does this happen roadside
To those left behind
When grass sticks to shoes
When tears mix with rain
When the lights flicker on
At dusk
Headlights illuminating this tableau
Do they wonder who will carry on
When they pass
Or if someone will do the same for them
We all grieve in our own ways
I know this
I want to buy a bench and placard
At the nature trails my dad walked
Celebrate his love of wildlife
I even spread his ashes there
Maybe making the flora greener
Which is the best we can hope for
A positive change from our leaving
Every time I pass a roadside memorial
I feel myself standing there
The longing
Cursing, perhaps, the carelessness
Of the driver of the WMD
I feel the loneliness in my bones
Someday I’ll stop at a florist
Leave a bouquet
How happy that would make them
Those passed and those carrying on
When I go I hope it’s at home
Surrounded by friends and family
If it’s my weary and clogged heart
That gives out
Go ahead and lay flowers and lights
In front of the local fast food restaurants
Leave a stuffed animal
In my dent in the couch
erichmichaels 