Fly, my spirit daughter,
fly to the heights of heaven,
Fly throughout God’s universe,
Converse with other souls of light,
Use your powers to help us here,
There are things we do not understand,
Worlds we cannot see,
You now fly with the ancestors,
Blessed be, blessed be.
cfblack, 11-23-25
My Dutch grandma served cheese and crackers,
chocolate candy with vanilla creme,
green and white mints, melted in your mouth,
She lived through the Great depression,
sat at her foot pedal sewing machine,
revised used clothes from someone else
to fit her own children,
went to church on Sunday,
and always had a smile.
Told us of times Grandpa couldn’t find work
and “had to go work for the WPA”,
They built sidewalks and did other jobs
after the first world war,
She loved hosting friends and family,
the adults talked for what seemed like hours,
until she winked and said with a smile,
“Let’s have a little lunch.”
Children then ran into the kitchen,
were treated like Kings and Queens,
climbed up on chairs awaiting them,
felt the love in their family,
watched her pour the magic bubbly,
ate cheese and crackers, and candy.
This is where we heard stories,
learned some family history,
but what I most remember
is my Grandma’s cheery laughter,
always happily hosting,
sharing what they had.
cfblack, 10-26-25
Yesterday, on the windshield of your car,
our car, the one we inherited from you,
a tiny grasshopper appeared,
light green baby, sitting there,
as I drove to the store.
a symbol of life between us.
I would see them in your yard,
after you passed,
not something we see every day anymore,
like I used to see them as a kid.
A sign of life, a symbol, and I like to think,
from you.
It is you saying, “Care for the earth,
all signs of life, everywhere.
Each life is precious, even grasshoppers,
care for all the living things.”
A friend of mine wrote a poem for you,
‘I see you galavanting through galaxies,
a grasshopper clinging … to your hand…
She dwells with the stars, tethered to God,
with an emerald green grasshopper
strapped by her side.’
I whisper to you in the car,
“I love you, I miss you.”
I see you too, green grasshopper,
all life is connected,
ours, with tiny living things,
and other worlds beyond.
cfblack, 10-20-25
Thank you, Lord, for this day,
Keep my negative thoughts at bay,
when heart is heavy for missing her,
help me to know You walk with her,
when my eyes well up with tears,
help me to know, her spirit is near,
Love is eternal, Love is real,
Love is really all there is.
cfblack, 9-7-25
The soul sometimes knows
what the mind does not,
There were many signs,
You had started to make a will
but never got it done,
You took your sister to Hawaii,
a place of your dreams,
You took us on pilgrimage
to Haifa, Israel,
You asked your dad what he wanted
for this year’s Fathers Day,
You said you missed his parents,
would like to visit them,
only two weeks later
you would do just that,
and fly to the worlds beyond.
A baby in the womb cannot imagine this life,
just as we don’t understand where you are,
Our hearts rest in the promise we will see you again,
that love is an eternal bond.
cfblack, 8-4-25
I think through those last seconds of your life,
that no one wants to think about.
I NEED to think through them, feel them, know them,
because I know you, and you were strong.
You were SO brave, this was your passion.
You were happiest in the clouds,
You knew the risks! studied day and night,
took classes, learned from others,
bought altimeters, your own parachute,
and you loved to watch others land.
We still don’t know exact circumstances,
You were making your descent,
you and another got too close,
your parachutes entangled.
“Don’t delay, cut away,” you cut away your parachute,
the other diver’s chute inflated, your reserve did not,
A freefall from 800 feet
takes 6 seconds to the ground,
This is all the time you had,
as you fell into the arms of God.
Six seconds of descent,
six seconds of lift and flight,
God carried you gently, through the doorway
to new worlds of grace, and light.
cfblack, 7-12-25
We have to believe
our efforts matter,
small changes,
one neighbor to another,
kindness, compassion, sincere love,
while winds blow cold around us,
we keep logs upon the fire.
cfblack, 1-10-25
Doctor Grandma 