When are words more than words? As someone who writes and even attempts to transmute some words of dialogue into film I should understand words. But I don’t. Words put together correctly are alchemy. Twice in my life I have chosen special words to speak aloud after the deaths of my mother and father. They were selected carefully and I spoke with sadness but with purpose. While their deaths occurred far apart in time, they are linked close together in my heart. Today I offer these pieces to remind me of what I said in honor of my dad and mom. Perhaps they will interest you. In their order of passing, dad first and mom second; here is what I said:

“Thus night fell,
Yesterday as well
The sun went down
Behind the mountain peaks
And bells rang”

“The sky is dark and the hills are white
As the storm-king speeds from the north to-night,
And this is the song the storm-king sings,
As over the world his cloak he flings:
“Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;”
He rustles his wings and gruffly sings:
“Sleep, little one, sleep.”

On yonder mountain-side a vine
Clings at the foot of a mother pine;
The tree bends over the trembling thing,
And only the vine can hear her sing:
“Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;
What shall you fear when I am here?
Sleep, little one, sleep.”

The king may sing in his bitter flight,
The tree may croon to the vine to-night,
But the little snowflake at my breast
Liketh the song I sing the best,–
Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;
Weary thou art, anext my heart
Sleep, little one, sleep.”

The first words of eulogy are a Zen death poem insightful, powerful, and brief–just like dad. The second is a Norse Lullaby appropriate for my mom beautiful and proud of her lineage who when she passed was anxious to see her own mom who had been gone a very long time. For me the above words I spoke are very special indeed. In my home I have them written in calligraphy and framed separately. The words are beautiful and they will forever remind me of two times I have spoken with true reverence. Peace.