I still see you there,
            when on a summer night I look into the darkness
            and see, once more, that light
                        streaming down like melted butter falling on the ground
                        you on a springtime lawn
                                    bare-shouldered in a yellow sundress
                                    golden haired and fair
                                                and life, our life, was all around.

I think of you there,
            when in the midst of sorrow over all I cannot be
            I close my eyes again to see
                        that day; that you I’ll always know
                        standing with your upturned face
                                    drinking in the hot sun,
                                    bathing your blonde eyebrows
                                                making them; giving you, all over, a glow.

I’ll have you there,
            When in my hour of pain I strain to draw just one more breath
            and visions of my life surround,
                        I’ll see you then as on that day; arms akimbo standing;
                        slow-motion water from a garden hose
                                    sends glistening glass-like beads
                                    toward the sky, reflected in your shining eye,
                                                only to evaporate and disappear before their landing.

When I see you there,
            doing all you can do; more than others ever could;
            dwarfing all my best and brightest hopes;
                        with modest home and work your highest worth;
                        with all that’s needed and nothing added on
                                    for the children you gave to me
                                    and the life you gave to them
                                                I bless your days upon this Earth.

Knowing you are there
            not only by my own endeavor, but by His hand,
            Who, when selfish dreams were only of my pleasure,
                        before I knew; gave life, exquisite joy, and pain;
                        in faith you waited long; shunned what was, and saw what could be;
                                    completing me; encumbering you
                                    with purpose, struggling, striving for the best.
                                                            I bless our maker - call upon His name again.

I See You There by William Stapleton is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.