On Watching Mr. Rogers Bury a Dead Fish
My grandchildren and I sat
mesmerized,
as he quietly,
carefully,
netted the little silver body,
wrapped it reverently
in a paper towel shroud,
troweled a hole in the yard,
and tenderly lay
the tiny white bundle
in the ground.
He patted the dirt back
like a gentle blessing.
Every so often,
he looked up
to check on us,
to reassure.
He spoke frankly
of sadness and tears,
of the animals we love that die
and how we miss them.
Afterward,
the kids went back
to drawing pictures,
as if the holiness they had just witnessed
were the most natural thing
in the world.
By Maria Brady-Smith
He was a lovely human being. We need him or more people like him now.
Maria, it always amazes me how you see what is not only visually there but emotionally true.
I think we are attracted to his way of being in the world even more because of the contentious times we live in.
Lovely words, Maria. Sweet and profound both. We so need gentleness right now.
Thank you, Paige. I agree. My brain needs that gentleness:)