Tag: grief

poetry, writer, writing

Spartans

Kelly Rogers

We are Spartans, bright and strong.

You cannot mute our warrior song.

When one of us falls, we fall as one.

Then we rise together, never undone.

Note: I dedicate this to our lost and injured Spartan students and their families, my daughter and her fellow students, and our community who stands strong. Never forget. 2/13/2023

musician, story, writer, writing

U2

Kelly Rogers

We are coming up on a year without my dad. My heart feels heavy, so I’ve been listening to U2’s Joshua Tree a lot.

I have such a vivid memory of getting tickets via a phone call to Ticketmaster to the original Joshua Tree tour which stopped at Pontiac Silverdome. I was the last in the call line to get tickets. It was my first concert, and my dad took me and my sister Elena because we loved U2. We would go again together years later when they came to Spartan Stadium. We were right up front on Spartan turf under a beautiful night sky.

I miss him. I always will. We knew every single lyric of this album. I still do. These memories built around a mutual love of music are gold.

poetry, writer, writing

The Empty Seat

Kelly Rogers

I wasn’t prepared for the empty seat at the table. He filled it so dutifully, yet quietly, each meal we shared.

This was the special occasion table, the linen-and-real-plates table. It barely fit our nuclear family of five, but somehow it detonated to fit our husbands and children.

He occupied the seat at one head of the table, across from my mom at the other end for a balanced table. The rest of us scurried to grab the spaces in-between, the youngest in high chairs like jesters off to the side.

This table was solid wood, built for joy. There was the occasional skirmish around it. We mostly broke bread and blew out candles here.

Cancer tried to take it away.

COVID tried to take it away.

The disagreements all families have tried to take it away.

We always came back though, and he sat in that same spot, asking his grandchildren and sons-in-law for extra ice cream and cheesecake, a procurement specialist for the good things in life.

This was the only throne he ever wanted. He was head of state in this fatherland. He will always fill that seat.