Day 13: Arrangements

Arrangements

We picked Bob up on Friday.
The plan is to carry him to Maine
and, on a nice day during the summer,
take him for his last boat ride.

He loved the ocean and wanted
his ashes strewn there. He joined
the navy during WWII and was stationed
on a destroyer. All through his life

he had one kind of sailboat or another.
So, we'll gather a few boats and friends
and family and head out to a beautiful
spot. We'll share some Bob and Dad

and Gunka stories. We'll laugh and cry.
He's in a biodegradable packet
about the size and heft of two coffee
table books and is snug and safe

in a navy blue book tote for now.
No gaudy funeral, no long-winded eulogy,
no fanfare, just people he loved,
salt water, sunshine, and sky the color of his eyes.