Rick Braun Janzen (1961-2024) elegy

I didn’t know you anymore 

just those three short years from 15 to 17 

but we shared an age and came of age together 

and I knew that smile and I knew that laugh 

and we sang tenor together in that high school choir 

that became a miracle of permanent memory 

in our 60s 

we walked through the snow 

bundled up from the cold 

until one set of prints finds the cold 

too hard to bear 

and lightens until no trace is left 

upon the clean white covering

first steps

on two tiny feet 

she leaves her mother’s arms and 

walks 

two steps towards cousin 

waiting with arms stretched toward 

so happy she giggles a belly laugh 

before crumpling into cousin’s lap 

and everyone laughs and claps 

because these first steps travel 

so far around the world 

in fact leaving footsteps 

we can only half imagine 

but we know the hug 

will always be there

in arms that catch and hold

card

downy woodpecker print

in black and white 

small splotches of white 

snow falling in the night 

black sky 

bird 

white breasted 

perched on tree 

midwinter cold 

it’s magic on cardstock 

cuz I can hear the knock knock

of beak on bark 

on a silent Christmas card 

and I think of how to 

save this world

 

light of hope

Gaza 

space carved out 

by the sea 

360 square kms of war zone

and rubble 

where Hamas 

hides with hostages 

and IDF kills indiscriminate 

and we wonder how peace can flutter down 

like Christmas on this place of the displaced 

can we shine our lights of hope 

on this brutal war 

on innocents 

or does our light only burn 

in our warm rooms so far away

winter 2023

it seems  like 

winter is catching on

snow piling up 

I don’t think this will melt now 

it’s here to stay 

through November and December 

right to March or April 

spring so far away 

but we can still sing solstice 

and Christmas 

and new year 

and heart day 

and the feast of St. Patrick 

voices tuned together 

for survival 

like kindling catching flame

 

Norah at one

spoon in hand she drums the wooden floor 

adding to the music she hears 

she likes to say hi and smile 

and tells long stories only she can divine 

stands up on the furniture and 

walks along testing her little body 

creeps along quite quickly one foot and one knee 

not exactly a crawl 

ginger blonde hair rests on eyelashes 

and she cuddles with you turning the pages of a book 

sits and eats her square of bread and pb 

says yum yum 

and this is her world 

    so content 

        so lucky 

            so full of heart emojis

Roger wall climbing

striped pants give him the flex 

he needs to climb this wall 

feet and hands gaining holds 

and legs pushing body up and up 

doesn’t stop until he’s 

touched the top 

yesterday he was Batman 

and tomorrow he will play 

Pokemon 

but right now

he is boy climbing 

undaunted