(The original title is An Elegy For Our Father; I left out his name for public posting.)

With a heavy heart, I reach out to my online community, where I feel safe and supported. I regret to inform you that my father passed away on the 18th of February, 2025. The enormity of this loss is beyond words, and I’ve been struggling to find the right ones to share with you. I’ve been silent for a while, trying to accept this.  Here is the elegy I penned for him on behalf of myself and my three sisters. -jjf

May your soul rest in peace; we whisper low,
But why do we say it—do we truly know?
Is there peace beyond, or a restless sigh,
A soul that laments, still asking why?
A spirit stunned by the way it flew,
Dad, is that restless soul in you?

You slipped away not long ago,
February’s chill took you quiet and slow.
We weren’t there to hold you near,
Circumstances carved a rift, severe.
Yet we trust the One who sees it all,
God knows why we rise, why we fall.
Miles stretched wide, a silent sea,
Did your love still drift to us?
Or was it locked within your mind,
A treasure we may never find?

Oh, how you were torn from us, unjust,
Four daughters left in sorrow’s dust.
Sudden—so sudden—words fall apart,
A theft of breath, a pierced heart.
Unsure of the number of years since we saw your face,

We are too ashamed to count, so we take the grace
Parallel lives in a distant place.
Two nations, two worlds, never aligned,
Not the life the Creator designed.
The Universe spun its cruel refrain,
We hope to meet you, not lost in vain.
Another grief, another scar,
Is there a reunion where you are?

Yet you were light, a playful flame,
A joyful spark in a world not so tame.
Laughter flowed like honey sweet,
With wit that danced on every beat.
A beacon bright, a lasting glow,
A comfort in the dark, we know.
Through the sting, your memory sings,
A father’s love on gentle wings.

© jjf’2025