My uncle with the smile of an angel,
Who already had a key to heaven.
My uncle with a heart filled with spirit and light.
My uncle’s dream was to survive and love.
My uncle struck by Cupid’s arrow,
But never truly falling in love.
My uncle with a yo-yo of emotions
As the forces of darkness came upon him.
My uncle trying to push past the darkness,
Painting over the black wall with magnificent bursts of color.
My uncle painting a new life,
As though it is a work of Picasso.
My uncle an immigrant to his own body
As gloom came over head.
My uncle hoping for a rebirth
Praying for the breath of God.
My uncle trying to open an old, dusty window
Wondering if new light will shine through.
My uncle was a wounded animal,
Hoping to be healed.
My uncle was never healed.
My uncle hoping to hear the ring of a phone so that he is still alive.
There is no answer.
My uncle is cold as stone,
But his voice is still heard.
His last words to me were, “I love you.”
And I love him too.
My uncle will never be forgotten.