I wonder.
Does the sun shine just a little less brightly now?
Is the sky just a little less blue?
Does the air feel a little bit heavier;
The wind blow a little more cool? 

Has one bright spark,
That endured the ravages of moldering time,
Which stole away her earthly beauty,
But could not touch the light of her soul;
Has that one persistent spark
Which let go this world
To fly to heavenly places,
Left us with a little darker land? 

Does the darkness have that much more advantage,
Oozing into the void her outgoing light has left,
Giving it another finger hold
From which to spread its clawing despair? 

Or has her light joined that heavenly light,
That watches over us?
And does its light grow brighter and more powerful
Than ever it could when it was constrained to earth,
And separated from the whole? 

What bountiful benefit,
To join her straining brilliance
To that of the ones who have gone before,
Out-stripping in cooperation
What they could ever do trapped in human cells. 

I feel their combined warmth,
And with each light snuffed out on earth,
Their glowing power grows tenfold.
It shines brighter and brighter
Obliterating darkness,
Until one day every dark corner will be illuminated.
And then I will see clearly where she is,
Our own angel in the company of angels. 

She spent her life serving,
Just as God had wanted her to do.
The encourager, the helper, the nurturer.
She acted out of love and spread her love,
And even in her slow and painful death,
She drew love from those around her,
Enriching them with her smile. 

God honed her to a brilliant hue,
Polished out the earthly impurities,
Leaving seamless, shining gold,
Ready for a greater purpose,
Ready for her great reward;
The one she sought so long and hard.
The one she dreamed and hoped for. 

I feel her glowing brightness yet,
Shining down upon my soul,
Together with my God.
There is no sadness there,
No regret, no pain.
Only love,
And light.