I had an uncle called Uncle Rao 桡叔. He passed away last year. It was his first annual memorial this week. He and my father had twelve brothers and sisters. But I had only met two of them before they all passed on and the one I got to know fairly well was Uncle Rao. Since he lived in Taiwan, and I lived in Hongkong and later in the United States, we had only met a few times during his life. He was always very kind, and I felt close to him. There was a clear and deep connection between us. He was also the person who organized and led a family pilgrimage to Dapu 大埔县, China many years ago, where our ancestors had lived continually for about thirteen generations, and where I met about fifty cousins.

The following words are dedicated to Uncle Rao, and to your family, and especially to all the loved ones who departed before us.

Missing You

Yesterday you and I together
Chatting
Now you are away somewhere
I am by myself here
Wondering

I wish you had left an address
Your place of quiet rest
I know it’s a town called Heaven
What do I punch in on my GPS?

I shouldn’t have to ask
In the deep of my heart
That’s where your spirit resides
I should know
That’s where our love abides

I miss you terribly
I love you still
Will you visit me
Continue our talk from last time
In my dream tonight?
Before we meet again
Would that be a suitable paradigm?

*** The End ***

 

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