In Memoriam

I stroll through autumn’s aftermath,
Beneath the trees I sense a pall,
For now I cut a single path—
Your steps won’t stir the leaves this fall.

To us this was a happy place,
Our laughter echoed through the trees.
Today there’s not the slightest trace
Of merriment upon the breeze.

I never realized before
(Though many other hearts have known)
That laughter counts on two or more
And does not walk with one alone.

By Dorothy M. Colgan

(Dorothy M. Colgan is a member of St. Meinrad Parish in St. Meinrad. She wrote this poem about the death of a loved one.) †

The Criterion