Leaving Orbit

 

For Vybhav Gopisetty and Judy Stanley who left us much too soon

You passed by this planet sooner than expected,

and were gone,

before we could fathom the mark

your stardust left upon us.

Your brilliant flashes

still remain on the retina,

where your lives

left their imprint.

Your hearts and minds

serve as the molds

from which our own may break free,

renewed by our lives’ proximity.

Reflection blesses our lives,

with the smiles and shine,

reminding us to thank you,

when next we meet.

__

Jason de Koff is an associate professor of agronomy and soil science at Tennessee State University.  He lives in Nashville, TN with his wife, Jaclyn, and his two daughters, Tegan and Maizie.  He has published in a number of scientific journals, and has over 50 poems published or forthcoming in literary journals this year. 

Cover image: Wallpaperaccess