The Final Reunion

L-R: David, Nick,Jaclyn, LynDee

A class of 320, down to 48

including spouses.

Some classmates wanted to come 

but couldn’t at the last minute

Some couldn’t due to their health

Some couldn’t due to their spouses

Some were travelling 

and some had died.  . . .

A war-worn group gathered for

A last reunion.

We were the survivors

We had all had battles but 

were climbing out of the 

foxholes of life:

the death of a spouse

the ravages of cancer

caring for someone with dementia.

.

We laughed, we cried, we shared

Sometimes picking up conversations

that were started years ago.

Some wanted music but it 

drowned out

those important discussions about life

and survival.

the music was shouted off.

Too many memories in the music 

of being young with our futures ahead.

With no more partners, 

there were no more last dances.

We gathered in our diminishing circle

of friends we’d created years ago.

Tables of friends who were so happy

gathering around that circle 

like Scouts at a campfire,

few tried to circulate.

And then, the last hour of the last night of the last reunion

A few moved cautiously to another table 

to re-ignite friendships: 

To blow on the embers

of possiblities that might have been.

But as the clock struck 10, we scattered the ashes,

let the fire go out ,

and left

the Firefighters Hall 

to go home.

But like Phoenix from the ashes

We went home to our new circle of friends

To live with those warm memories of the past, 

Awaiting

The Final Reunion.

L-R: Carol, Pat, Ingrid, David, Nick, Jaclyn, LynDee

L-R:Carol, Joan, Ed, Pat, Ingrid

Terry, Vito, Ed

Clockwise: Pat, Gerri, Judy, Terry, Ed

Ed and Ruth