On the plane I try not to cry so I clench my teeth
Seeing the flat land of my birth below fills me with grief
I know that this is real, this passing on
I know that her soul like a bird has flown
On this cusp of spring when the earth soon will bloom
For all of the stories of love and affection, I would never have room
With warm coffee in hand I watch her face so fair
As she tells me stories, and I’m content to sit with her there
And of my rich history, now of this I do know
Of the generations of people who came before me, long ago
Throughout my life I see the pain and loss she endures
But praise God, there comes a day when peace and rest are now hers
This day we celebrate a life fully lived
We take comfort in the fact that she gave all there was to give
With one last breath her soul gives a heart cry
Now under the wings of an eagle, with our Lord she now flies
–for Eleanor Jane Rhoades Little, 1928-2016–
