Beautiful Things

Even in the midst of loss let us sing
of beautiful things,
of flowers and skies with dancing clouds,
of the simple goodness of cheese,
the rustle of satin in the night,
your mother’s voice,
warmth on a cold night,
of love,
of the things that cause you pain
when they are gone,

Sing for them all, now
while they are with you,
and now, when they cease to be,
except in the songs we sing
late into the night.