Guatemala

She sits by the water and thinks of her daughters

Jesus and John in the water you see

keeping a date with destiny

Touching her knees, she wades out to sea

Water still colder than soon it will be

 Ocean giant baptismal font

Ominous, macabre haunt

John baptizes Holy Master

Her heart beats faster

Ocean stirs, nerves go taut

she stands up, water gets hot

 

Knee deep in water, she thinks of her daughters

Dove descends on Jesus and John

Ritual ends as Diane wades on

 

Waist deep in water, she thinks of her daughters

 

Holy men wade back to shore,

Jesus does just one thing more

Touching her, Jesus says

“Soon you’ll be gone, but that’s okay”

Swift undertow suddenly sweeps

Diane out that day

 Daughters she loved, words cannot say

She wanted one more day.

 

Drowning in water, she thinks of her daughters

 

Poem based on the last entry in Diane’s Journal, dated February 4, 2004. The entry describes Diane sitting at the water’s edge, watching John baptize Jesus. When Jesus comes out of the water he pats her on the head. Diane drowned February 29, 2004.

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