For Dong Dong




He wasn’t with us for very long
Just a small drip in the passage of time
Not very long at all
We met him at the dying of the light
Yet his great heart, his burning fire, contained in such a small body
touched us
touched us deeply
I called him Master Po because he was blind
Despite his temper, despite his fire, he liked to be held
and rocked
He was a fighter
He raged against the dying of the light
Such a small frail failing body
contained so much fire, so much light
He died late last night, early this morning
so early this mourning
He was too tired to fight anymore
He just fell asleep there in the strange room
held and rocked
held and rocked
and loved
so deeply
so very deeply
I will miss you, Master Po
I will miss you so very much
I will miss your fire
I will miss your fight
I will miss you frail flailing little body
You weren’t with us for very long
Just towards the dying of the light
But you shone
Oh, you shone
And our hearts
my heart
shines so very brightly
with the memory

of your light

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