Joyful One

Sissy and I designed a custom message for Mom’s footstone. We had to wait a half-year for it to be installed. I wrote a poem to commemorate the occasion.

A friend of Mama’s, fresh out of seminary and confident as only a young male pastor can be

once Told her that if she could view the world through God’s eyes, she would surely understand why bad things happen

and in fact, if she could, she would not only understand but even look forward to the anguish

“Honey, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Mama had said with a laugh

Now that Mama is gone from here

(even though I keep some of her ashes in my safe)

what I think she was trying to say was

although there will never be a Good Enough reason for sorrow and injustice

If God is there

God understands

that sometimes the best we can do is cuss and yell and rend our slub-knit garments while we grieve

until eventually our pain turns outward and flourishes into vibrant loving action

like how Mama’s did after Daddy up and died and left her with two girls to raise

So if someone says joy can’t look like defiance

or struggle

or stone-faced anger

Be sure to tell them they’re wrong

because Mama shouted a happy confirmation from far atop her new celestial vantage point that

she was right

Being joyful is supposed to look different

depending on the view