No obituary

I had recently called an aunt
to express condolences
on behalf of my birth family
at the passing of her husband

and she, like others too, I suppose
hadn't known
that Amma was "gone"
and remarked
that she hadn't read
any mention in the KSA magazine;
the watering hole of my people everywhere

We had never spoken of it
maybe tacitly decided not to place it there
perhaps
no obituary, therefore

How can we trap someone so special
ever-alive
and so here
into a word limit
on a page?

How could we pretend
that she was gone
when she lives on
every day, every moment

in the honey-eyes of her first born grand-daughter
through the bear hugs of her first born grandson
in the laughter of the littlest one, so like his Baba

in the name of the little girl, who walked earlier than most
to make up for lost time
and the two little girls, six-months apart
who'd placed their little hands in hers
and shared snacks with her, each nodding to the other
to say 'go on help yourself'

and through the lived lives of
her four children
who try everyday to honour her memory
by forgiving those who did not come by
to pay their respects
by giving of themselves
and who walk in her path-
as she has always wanted

Tired bodies, He had said
need to rest
like worn clothes, discarded
Anichcha too is the message

therefore
no obituary
as those who live forever
cannot be boxed in
with a word limit
and few sentences