September Oh, September is replete,
Is saturated so abundantly,
With memories on which my soul does feed,
That branded, marked it ineffaceably.

September, beautiful September Oh,
You brought me gayety, elation, thrill,
But also sorrow, bitter grief and woe.
Both, love’s delight and the grim reaper’s chill.

September, when the leaves turn red and gold,
And in detachment fall from bush and tree,
In severance from cheerful bloom of old,
Reminding us of temporality.

September 4th my father did depart,
On a most glorious September day,
It nearly broke my loving mother’s heart,
And I cried much,- but was so far away.



On one September 8th, she too did go,
Lo! - on her favored feast she left this earth,-
When swallows rally in a lengthy a row,
To bid farewell - our Blessed Mother’s birth.



A national disaster too occurred,
On a most beautiful September morn,
When towers crumbled into dust and dirt,
And many souls to heaven high were borne.

September, month of cruel Severance
When Ocean's savage killing waves surged high,
When foul Katrina/Rita Hurricanes
Did smother many an agonizing cry.

But glad September days with bike trips far,--
To see Steve kicking pedals was delight,
And press with spunk upon the handle bar,
And then looked back, to see I was all right.

One day the bikes stood idly in the rack,
The funny little bell did no more squeal,
But ambulettes came rushing forth and back,
My darling, Stephie-boy was gravely ill.

September nights,- Oh vigils filled with love,
My darling’s brow was wet but he dismissed
Contraptions furnished by a doctor’s staff,
And gadgets ordered by the specialist.

One day he improved,- high beat my heart with joy,
And fervent hopes ignited that I nursed,
For rosy colored looked my Stevie-boy
But, sorrow,- on the next day he reversed.

The ambulances raced through avenues
Again on many a September eve,
While happy people grilled their barbecues
I held my Stephen’s hand in helpless grief.

No more: “In Eighty Days around the World”--
My darling’s cherished favored bathroom tune,
While he with gusto shaving towels unfurled,
Or tinkered tink-a-tink with mug and spoon.

And once again the ambulances raced,-
Oh sad repeat conveyance forth and back,
Their sirens shrieked, their head-lights flashed and blazed,
And idly stood the bikes on our rack.

“Don’t fight!” the doctors said, discreet but grim,-
For I did fight as does a lioness,
For all I had on earth, my Steve, - for him,
And dull resigned a peace felt odious.

Soon whirled and swirled through the star-lit night,
Weird life-sustaining dread machinery,
With tanks and tubes and vials by the side
My trebling fingers handled hourly.

"Three times the plunger will have to descend!"
The nurse had said- "to suck in the morphine!
No more! - but do it with a steady hand!
"Be calm, efficient, practise discipline!"

And so I rammed the plunger dread and loath,
And lethal -- who could understand what pain?
Twixt tears and kisses in my darling's mouth
Oh torment for which words are void and vain.

I cried to the Almighty for relief,-
A soul to back me up in so much woe,
But there was none to blunt fatigue and grief
But death’ angel touching Stephen’s brow.

September 1st,- the birthday of my Steve,
September 3rd our sunny wedding day,-



And a September 30th he took his leave
And changed for wings his mortal coil of clay.

Oh glorious September day, - its last,
Oh unforgettable September day!
My treasure on this earth, my Stephen passed,
My Knight in Shining Armour went away.




*******
September with its anniversaries,
Fixed in the mind and on the calendar,
But I decline to live by memories,
Dwarfed by love’s living and bright shining star.

Elizabeth Dandy