Philip (Elijah)

"For my friend who died at 29, doing what he loved"

You were painting

The room for your son

A first child yet to be born

Then, the call came...

Danger found you awash in courage

Heat from the blaze

Burning up the cool Winter day

A battle you'd won hundreds of times before

Later that night I recalled

Smoking cheap cigars

In your driveway while

Laughing that you knew my cousins more than I

Oh how easily smiles crossed your face

Friends were many and cherished

Deeply inside your heart, faith flourished

Not on your sleeve, in your actions

Irony was absent in the way you died

A church full of hellfire, yet...

Father reached down and carried you

Home on flames, breaking our hearts, mending Heaven's

Your son drew breath several days after.

Renee named him "Elijah".

Author's Note

This was an emotional write. So, I held back on the emotion to let the story unfold a bit. Any comments and suggestions are welcome.