Aunt Martha's Laugh

by Holly Barzyk

When we were young,
Snowflakes were just falling stars
Drifting fragily to the ground. Raindrops
Were God's tears lingering softly
Towards the Earth asking "Why?"
Aunt Martha would just laugh.

Her infectious laugh --
And her eyes bright and young
Tried to explain, "There's not always a why"
As our minds filled up like stars
Against a midnight sky, she so softly
Answered questions about God and raindrops.

One day we looked outside and the raindrops
Grew infectious like Aunt Martha's laugh.
They no longer fell softly
And we were no longer young.
In the midnight sky, the stars
Seemed to dim. We were left to ask, "Why?"

How many times can a child ask, "Why?"
When tears fall like raindrops,
Blurring the stars.
And you cannot hear Aunt's laugh.
(Oh how you could once again be young --
With the corners of her mouth curling softly.)

You hear her voice ask softly,
"Why do you ask 'Why?'"
"Because I wanted you to always be young!"
"But child, when you feel the raindrops,
You will hear my laugh
And know that my soul rests beyond the stars!"

Gradually, we stopped pondering the stars
And forgot asking softly
About snowflakes and God.  We laugh
At our childish nonsense. But I wonder why
The fall of the raindrops
Makes me feel once again young.

Years frozen solid, though still we ask why --
In hopes that a voice will answer softly
Like she did when we were young.

(for A. Mars)