Two-Thirds of My Dad’s Ashes



I scattered two-thirds of my dad’s ashes today
A still June day
Just into the woods
Over a rocky ledge on the slope of a bluff in Monteagle, Tennessee
He died over three years ago  
My mom is letting go of him slowly
A few pieces at a time, unplanned
But not unthoughtful
I ask her if I should scatter them all but she says no
Hold some for my brothers just in case
And hold some for the time
When her ashes can combine with the remainder of his
And be brought back to this place
So I, being the third son, do as I am told
And consign the final third to the black plastic box
That will return to my mom’s bedroom closet for a while longer
There is no clear path to the place
Blocked in various places by fallen branches and thorned vines.
My mom does not accompany me
The bluff is barely visible from this far down
A few yards farther you can no longer see the forest from the trees
But this close to the edge you begin to feel the gravity, the pull
There are saplings, rattlesnake weeds, a wild blueberry bush
And a large oak tree with one dead branch
A humble and forgettable place for two-thirds of the ashes
Of a humble and unforgettable man

About this poem

I wrote this about my dad, who died in 2018, and my mom - who still loves him.

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Written on June 19, 2021

Submitted on June 29, 2021

Modified by rlh on June 29, 2021

1:07 min read
146

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABCDCEFDGHIGJKLGMCNOFPQRS
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,147
Words 225
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 26

Discuss the poem "Two-Thirds of My Dad’s Ashes" with the community...

1 Comment
  • UJ
    Both my parents are still alive {knock on wood} but I felt this poem. Maybe because my best friend ever was cremated and it made me think of him.
    LikeReply2 years ago

Translation

Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Citation

Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"Two-Thirds of My Dad’s Ashes" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/103836/two-thirds-of-my-dad’s-ashes>.

Become a member!

Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

March 2024

Poetry Contest

Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
12
days
18
hours
24
minutes

Browse Poetry.com

Quiz

Are you a poetry master?

»
"I walk down the garden paths, and all the daffodils are blowing"
A Amy Lowell
B Emily Dickinson
C Gwendolyn Brooks
D Elizabeth Barrett Browning