Today I celebrate Cathy Antoinette Privett, my aunt, who died in October of 1996 from HIV-related causes. I have put together a PDF of some of her poetry from her youth that you can download here (PDF, 93kb).
Here is my favourite –
UNTITLED
Maybe it was the way the moon looked,
or the way the silence followed me
into every room,
every corner,
every space
that once welcomed you.
The night senses your absence
almost as much as I do.
I can’t help but miss the smile you wore
hidden behind your eyes
or the way you shifted in your sleep.
This emptiness will pass;
it almost always does.
And I know that one morning,
I will again share the newborn break of dawn
with you or someone new.
Not remembering the mornings
taken or owed to me.