Mourning a Man I Never Knew

Mourning a Man I Never Knew

I never met you,
yet it feels like I saw your soul.
I never spoke with you,

yet your words echo in my head.
I never saw your face,
yet I can't seem to get your image out of my head.
You never knew me,
but I perceive you in your passing,
and it saddens me that you had to leave
this world so soon,
slip off the stage mid-way through your performance.
I could have watched that play for hours,
through the laughter and tears;
for though I never had the privileged
to sit in the audience,
a life is always a thing
that should be savored while there,
a delectable dish that marinates in the moment,
and that you chew slowly,
unsure if you want it to ever end.
And yet, every meal must come to a close;
I just wish you had the chance to taste all the courses,
wish that your talent had more time to flourish and grow
into a magnificent lily,
spreading its petals high and wide,
reaching out to the sky in triumph.
But what you gave us was wonderful,
and we will always remember the love
you filled our hearts with,
we tall glasses overflowing.
A place in our hearts will always be reserved for you,
a hotel room that is always filled
with the amazing memories we hold dear
if only to recall the good times
before the world whisked you away.