Edward Hays, Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim, 2008
Relatives and friends, I am about to leave;
my last breath does not say “goodbye,”
for my love for you is truly timeless,
beyond the touch of boney death.
I leave myself not to the undertaker,
for decoration in his house of the dead,
but to your memory, with love.
I leave my thoughts, my laughter, my dreams
to you whom I have treasured
beyond gold and precious gems.
I leave my thoughts, my laughter, my dreams
to you whom I have treasured
beyond gold and precious gems.
I give you what no thief can steal,
the memories of our times together:
the tender, love-filled moments,
the successes we have shared,
the hard times that have brought us close together
and the roads we have walked side by side.
I also leave you the solemn promise
that after I am home in the bosom of God,
I will still be present,
whenever and wherever you call on me.
My energy will be drawn to you
by the magnet of our love.
Whenever you are in need, call me;
I will come to you,
with my arms full of wisdom and light
to open up your blocked paths,
to untangle your knots
and to be your avenue to God.
And all I take with me as I leave
is your love and the millions of memories
of all that we have shared.
So truly I enter my new life
as a millionaire.
Fear not nor grieve at my departure,
you whom I have loved so much,
for my roots and yours
are forever intertwined.