A crack in the sky
By David Wainland
The sounds of thunder followed me
from Florida to Virginia.
Chasing me through airports
and down highways.
Casting darkness all about
hiding the light of day.
Out of the wet afternoon
stepped my daughter.
She held her children tight
against the deluge of tears.
We embraced and found the link
that I lost when my son died.
Matthew, my grandson, smiled
and wrapped himself around my legs.
Hannah, only thirteen months
beamed at me from her mother’s arms.
A wall of emotion cascaded down
reminding me I still had those to love.
Tomorrow I will return home
still without him, but closer.
And when the plane cracks the sky
I will be the nearest I can be on Father’s Day.
Visions In a Storm
By David Wainland
I awake to a thick blanket of humidity
A new storm rumbles in the distance.
Lightning sheets like the northern aurora,
Hang in silvery veils in the midnight sky.
Wind trickles in and shifts the grass,
Then howls and bends the trees.
Bits of life float by steamy windows,
caught up in an Everglade tempest.
In the shimmering electric glare,
I see the energy my son has left behind.
It glows like a pale ghost,
Burning through my closed lids.
He strides around the house and yard,
Animated in death as he was in life.
Shifting from the boy he was,
To the man he became.
He gave us a run for the money,
I never knew he could run so far.
The gale drives closer,
Many lightning bolts become one.
Thunder rattles the walls and floors,
And his image grows dimmer with each strike
I miss him and I wonder,
Where he has gone does he miss me?
My wife stirs and asks,
Is there something wrong?
My hand reaches out and touches hers,
No dear, I’m just listening to the rain.
I would like you all to say hello to Alan. I met alan this past Saturday at a very upscale restaurant while having lunch with my friends for one of thier birthdays. Alan took our drink order then our lunch order, as I looked at his name badge it read the town which I had moved from in N.Y. 17 years ago. We didn't know anyone in common, however, I did mention that my son use to be a waiter at 32 East in Delrey Beach and since we were in the same town he knew of the restaurant. He asked me my sons name and I said his first name and that he had passed away. He said JEREMY WAINLAND, when I said yes how do you know him, Alan said that they had worked together as waiters at Aoura in Delrey and everyone liked Jeremy, had felt terrible when they got the news, and all of the waitors came to the funeral. I would have never known being that there were over 250 people there that all of the people he had worked with before going full time with his training and working with PERU had been there to say goodbye to him or shall I say so long for now. The birthday was wonderful but meeting Alan really touched me and made my day. In one more month we shall have JEREMY'S unvieling. It will be a bittersweet day, we shall pay tribute to him at the cemetary then come back to our house where the rabbi will give his daughter a name in Jewish. This was KIRA'S wish for her and JEREMY. I will be forever grateful that Kira has done this. She has also chosen his best friend David Serle and his wife Samantha to be the guardian of SKYLAR. I told Kira she will always be around and never to worry, however, life is strange and this is what JEREMY would have wanted. So Kira, I will always love you for thinking of what JEREMY would have wanted, who knew him better or loved him better then you besides his family. xxxxx to everyone, Jamie
