Poem October 16, 2023 Issue

No line to cross

Elizabeth Ragsdale

I dreamed you ran ahead of me
across the finish line,
leaving me to weep.
An angel spoke as I awoke:
“A life has not been lost.
There is no line to cross.”

I know you won’t be looking back,
wishing you had brought
something heaven lacks.
What you reaped is yours to keep.
All the good you’ve claimed
remains with you unchanged.

There still is work for you to do—
worries to release,
wisdom to pursue.
I am blessed as you progress.
Although you’re out of sight,
you shine as reflected light.