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A Departure
Every parting is a little death.
One life torn from another.
Separation for a day? A year?
Forever?
We kissed. I watched her through the gate.
Her brave steps crossed tarmac to metal stairs.
Through gills, the silver airfish took her body,
Roared and was gone.
Aloft; a life, once cradled in my arms,
Once nourished at my breast.
Once that child's form had grown within mine,
An unknown being, moving in dark warmth,
Rhythm of heats intertwined.
My legs parted, my muscles heaved,
Her body thrust forth from mine.
Separation at birth, warmth from warmth.
Love's blood no longer flowed as cord was cut.
Every parting a little death.
Does death begin then?
Life, birth, death.
Are there no boundaries?
A baby's cry of fear, of death
As life has just begun.
Milk flows, bodies join once more.
Reunion of warmth kills fear of death.
The child explores new worlds of chairs and floor,
Crawls beyond a door.
Suddenly alone, terror begins.
Is comfort lost? She cries.
Arms of love reach out to touch
And hold the one who strayed too far.
Reunion brings homebirth of links between mother and child.
With growth she goes beyond that door,
One step, one more
To find no loss,
For she returns at day's end.
Her limbs, her eyes, her mind extend
To further space and push fear's edge away.
Each day faith grows as links join
From home to world beyond.
My daughter, gone beyond sound of voice.
An ocean crossed to other lands.
She grows to new worlds.
I long to reach her, my child,
Yet I must let her fly.
Separation, a little death, overcome,
As link to link through space,
Farther than arms can reach,
Love joins faith.
Judy Kahrl
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