Molested as a child
And mute for six years,
Yet you, with regal voice
And erect frame,
As an adult sang sweetly.
Never, once released, did you cease to ascend,
Giving so many fledglings silken wings.
Even Elijah could not work as many wonders.
Love was the creed
On which you based a life
Unlike any other’s:
Rich in word wisdom,
Insistent that the dove would soar,
Persistent in your dance of affirmation.
Johnnie Clemens May has an MFA in poetry from Pacific University and teaches English and creative writing at Glendale Community College in Arizona.