Passage

You have gone home,

And we, who remain, are left

To imagine a safe and loving place

With sunshine and the smiling pieces

Of your past.

And we wonder how we let

You pass through and between us

Without nodding to your grace

And gentle wisdom.

We mourn for the loss of

Something tangible to hug

And hold and hear.

We mourn that we did not

Have more time or

That we did not make more

Or that in time we have lost you.

We mourn our limits

Both self-imposed and real

Where we cannot do what we want

And we do not do what we can.

And yet, we are at peace

As we know you are.

Silent and calm as

You stand at the edge of the world,

Turn to wave and then pass through.

We will sing at your passage.

May the notes carry to you.

May the song go with you.

May our voices become part of you.

You have gone home,

And we, who remain, are left

To imagine a safe and loving place

With sunshine and the smiling pieces

Of your future.

We will sing at your passage.

We will sing at your passage.

We will sing.

Composer, Eric Helmuth, put these words to choral music for SSAA or TTBB choral performance.