To My Uncle

I looked at your pictures today,
surprised at how familiar your smile was,
surprised that I could remember--for myself--
that smile and the sound of your voice;
your demeanor: calm, kind, cheerful.

Grandma and Grandpa, before they passed,
loved to talk about you and your family--
how tall your boys were getting, how cherished your little girl,
how steady you were even as a child--
their youngest.

I remember a story my dad told:
Someone (you?) described new life in Christ
as being like a seed pod opening:
out of tight darkness into air and light.
Perhaps heaven is like that again.

I was surprised, looking at those pictures,
to see myself in the shirt I wear today,
standing in the family group with you.
I am sorry I didn't try to know you better;
sorry, too, that I cannot go and say goodby.