Presence Shift With Our Father

Our father passed away last week

Hello friend

Our family is saying a sad goodbye

Our father, Paul Sullivan, passed away last week

His 5 children revere him more than words convey

We were all by his side through his final days

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After more than 50 years talking to each other most days

And sharing our writing with each other for the last 20 years

I sat by my father’s bed for our final conversation

One more evening of planning, remembering, crying, being together

—

We laughed our cadence into the dark

Then he closed his eyes and said, “I’m tired. Let’s write.”

His hands could no longer

So we listened to silence, and I typed…

—

Each moment a blank page

Now this one speaks anew

Black on white again

Dark colors to hues

Those passed flow through my father’s closed eyes

His children, his family, his friend’s wild lives

Through theirs, and theirs, to grand new worlds

He soars, he soars — eternal pearls

Paul gave it all to share our plight

Now he returns to light

Goodbye my father

We love you

Goodnight

—

I slowly read our draft aloud

He beamed and beamed

Then bowed and awed

His final reply:

“My father, my son — I love God.”

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Difficult Days Bring Us Home is a Presence Shift dedicated to my father.

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Photo by Dániel Barczikay on Unsplash