September 6, 2013

My Journey to God

The Rosary Left Behind

The rosary beads left behind by her passing
A testimony to her faith over the decades
A faith that was deep and unwavering
They lie in repose on a son’s dresser.
The rosary left behind

The glass beads are worn and smooth
The countless times when they were used
Her fingers moved on the beads continually
Each decade devoted to those in need.
The rosary left behind

The corpus is worn and without definition
Endless hours spent at home or church
Rosaries said at funerals and weddings
Prayers said for the newborn at baptism.
The rosary left behind

Her rosary was always with her in readiness
It was like an appendage to her hands
The rosary left behind a living epitaph
She prays for us from the heavenly realm.
The rosary left behind

By Thomas J. Rillo
 

(Thomas J. Rillo is a member of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Bloomington and a Benedictine oblate of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad. Rillo wrote this poem in memory of Marsha Kane, a fellow parishioner, who died at 65 of cancer on July 16. A poem by her about her struggle with cancer was published in The Criterion in 2010.) †

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