When I first saw my mother's ashes in a gray, shiny plastic container, and noticed the squared edges, I knew that angst lay ahead — not from the emotion of the soon-to-be scattering-at-sea, as that would provide a release for me as well as for those dry crumbled pieces of her — but from the realization that there would be remains remaining in the edges and corners inside, clinging statically (as she had clung to life), quietly expecting my solution.
After her wishes were honored and most of the last of her joined the gray whale that breached nearby our boat rocking on the wildest of November coastal swells I returned with the container to the town she loved, the charming village on Silver Creek, where, in another time, a robust flour mill busily hummed near its banks. And I squatted beside the clear running waters and swished and dunked the plastic box until all powder was freed and swirling away from me. Then I walked on through the old town park, satisfied.
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Written for dVerse Poets Pub Form for All, where host Samuel Peralta's beautiful (as ever) prompt discusses Prose/Poetry and ask us to contribute our own prose poem. This is Sam's farewell as a regular writer at dVerse, as he will be devoting his time to completing his book, Labyrinth Man. Sam is one of my favorite writers and I so look forward to reading more of his work in the future.
Best wishes and thank you for your perfect prompts and your kind and encouraging words, Sam!
Samuel Peralta – on Twitter as @Semaphore – is the award-winning author of five titles in The Semaphore Collection – Sonata Vampirica, Sonnets from the Labrador, How More Beautiful You Are, Tango Desolado and War and Ablution – all Amazon Kindle #1 Hot New Releases, and best sellers, in poetry.To be placed on his free list, The Writing Life, click here.
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Note: HD Image of Silver Creek by Thom R, My Oregon Photography Blog
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