When Death Comes for Me
Berta Morgan
When death comes for me I hope she is a woman;
A white-haired woman with laughing blue eyes
And skin tanned by years of hiking in the sun.
On most days she wears khakis and blue flannel shirts,
But for this occasion she has worn purple for me;
Flowing, silky purple flowered skirt and soft loose tunic
In shades of lilac and lavender.
She will wear a wreath of purple pansies with long yellow ribbons
Hanging down her back like young girls at the summer solstice.
She will bring a wreath for me, too, to celebrate what is to come,
Placing it on my head with a smile and a pat on my shoulder.
We will turn toward the sea where the sun is nearly setting.
She will hold my hand and I will lean my head on her breast
And we will watch the ribbons dancing in the ocean breeze.
Cauldron Anthology
13