My Dearest Beloved How is it possible that a year has passed It is as though you have just left us I am standing on the edge of this abyss The pivot of my life no longer here My inner compass no longer has a setting The enormity of your absence The depth of your loss is devastating Nothing in the world has prepared me for your not being here For the space, the vacancy, the emptiness, the loss Nothing can salve the wound that bleeds unendingly That oozes through every memory That withers every ray of sunshine How do we pick up the pieces ? Herein lies your magnificence, your power, your essence In each and everyone of us You have left a piece of yourself A piece that accompanies us So significantly Each one of us has been touched In your unique and special way So relevant and meaningful Never can these pieces add to a whole But in their way they hold your spirit These pieces keep your spirit so close So alive, so sharp, so piercing They hold us together They hold your being that forever ascends And permeates our senses We remember Your strength, Your deep understanding of so many facets of life Your never ending search for the truth, the source Your impeccable integrity Your ethics, your sense of accountability All part of your deepest beliefs And your love Your profound caring Look at your children and their children Your grandchildren Your family Your friends Look at the pieces embedded within us You have passed on yourself There lies your eternal spirit Your eternal spirit For eternity Oh! My darling Black May your name and spirit Forever be blessed Yehi Shimcha Baruch