Gold Poem, for the Veaches

 Good friends, I wrote this poem
two years ago, at the Veaches’
Golden Wedding celebration, 
and Jerry’s death, but didn’t 
print it. Now I do; I’ve been 
with the Veach family the past 
two weeks, at Becky’s death
and a loving moving ceremony. 
We are Family. Many of you 
will remember Becky from her 
Chatham and SSU days. She 
was my first student, in 1970.

Gold Poem, for the Veaches

what can I say about gold   
that’s not cliché? well I’ll
tell you about becky and jerry
not having had a traditional
wedding they’d eloped now
thought it would be neat
to renew their vows in a 
golden wedding celebration
children and grandchildren
present it was held last week
in the golden autumn a moving
meaningful service but in a
bedroom for jerry was bed-   
ridden stricken the week 
before yet he held his wife’s
hand squeezed it for replies 
we sang laughed ate cake told 
stories hugged all around 
jerry died the next morning 
what wonderful awful timing
tomorrow is the funeral it will
be gold with poetry and song
for jerry and becky have always
been pure gold the golden heart
of their giving golden family

©2015 Jacqueline Jackson

This article appears in Mar 5-11, 2015.