Campbell McGrath            Miami             (P. Scott Cunningham)
The Red Dragonfly: After Shiki

In Memory of David Dubrow, 1992-2013


1.


The red dragonfly
knows the way to the gravesite--
one-year unveiling.

           One-year unveiling, 
          out past the airport--Tile Works,
         Oasis Dream Spa.

                    Sound of the airplanes
                    taking wing does not disturb
                    the red dragonfly.

Yellow butterfly,
late summer in Miami,
no sign of autumn.

             No sign of autumn,
             the greens and blues of summer
             too bright for our eyes.

                         Too bright for our eyes,
                         the red dragonfly’s shadow
                        falls on David’s stone.

2.

The red dragonfly
watching, darting, hovering,
thinking of David.

             Thinking of David--
             honor the dead by living--
             thinking of Shiki.

                          The mockingbird sings
                         all day without noticing
                        tears falling on stone.

Tears falling on stone
as butterflies flutter from
flower to flower.

           Flower to flower,
          hour to hour and day by day,
          thinking of David.

                       The red dragonfly,
                       the yellow butterfly, the stone
                       bearing David’s name.

3.

Little lizard, hide 
from the mockingbirds with us, 
summer’s survivors.

            Yellow butterfly,
            honor the dead by living
            like grass in sunshine.

                           Like grass in sunshine--
                          even by grief, mockingbird,
                          the soul is nourished.

Summer sun at noon,
and still autumn comes too soon,
even here, too soon.

             Too bright for our eyes, 
             the greens and blues of summer,
             tears falling on stone.

                        O red dragonfly,
                       hover here, above his grave,
                       after we have gone.

from New and Selected Poems and also published in South Florida Poetry Journal