Gone

Dedicated to those I've loved and lost.
May your soul shine the brightest among the stars in the sky.

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love and life
what i see in your eyes
shining so bright
from this photograph i hold
the ring of your laughter
so sweet and pure
the touch of your hand
your grace and light
live on in the minds
of your family and friends
in the love you showed
when you were still here...

~SLJ~sister of my heart

My sister and friend Sonja was murdered almost a year ago. The victim of domestic violence after living through hell here on earth. She struggled with adversity all her life, being a black woman, strong and proud in small-town USA. A recovering addict, a beautiful mother, a sister, a daughter, a strength I've never known. I was honored to be her friend, determined to stand up for her from day one on an elementary playground, baring my fists to those who could not see past her color. She was and is an inspiration. I was there when she came home, shaken and weak from her stint in rehab. I held her daughter, fresh and bloody from her womb as I witnessed the miracle of birth first-hand by her bedside. Time and memories separate us still, but always, you remain in me.

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if only for a moment i could see your face again
to touch your skin
hear your voice
wrap you in my arms once more
if only for a moment you were here with me
to love me
and guide me
through the hell that's left behind
if only for a moment i did not know this loss
the ache
and senseless pain
that never seems to end
if only for a moment we could turn back time
and see your smile
hear you laugh
to know you once again
if only for a moment dreams become real
you could join me
here to spend
forever in this moment

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how many times can one heart break
before the stitches will not hold
why do tears fall so silently
when rage is screaming in my head
love, faith, protection, truth
laughter, tears, happiness, joy
gone in an instant
a trigger pulled
the world fades to gray
a candle burned out...
you live on inside of me
what i once had
for a brief and shining time
i feel you smile
from heaven above
i miss you most
on days like today

~GWB 9/21/73-9/14/01
~gone too soon, never forgotten

My brother, my hero, my knight in shining armor. You taught me how to laugh and cry, to fight bloody and bruised to the very end. I watched your heart break time and time again, your struggle to do right and be free finally from the demons in your past. Happiness was held within your grasp for such a short period of time. That fateful night remains the worst in my life, but I feel you smiling down from heaven and I see your love shine through my the eyes of my children.