Today is the one-year anniversary of Chester Bennington‘s passing. In memory of him and those dearest in my heart that have also returned to the Light, I make this offering:
“In Memoriam, Lasting Repose”
Darkness surrounds everyone down here
Attempts to smother all life and love
Attempts to cover the light above
Attempts to drown us in sinking fear
Without your voice to hear,
Your face to see,
Without another chance to hold you, dear
Tomorrow becomes a lost memoryCan you hear us screaming to the heavens?
Can you hear us calling out your name?
Memories live on forever
And the echo of your love remainsOutside, your house is shadowed in gloom
I want to silence the mourning cries
Silence the voices calling outside
As, silently, I sit here in this room
Right now, I’m here for you
For one last time
I watch as the Grey slowly takes your eyes
As this world grows cold, I’ll stay behindI’m under sunshine colder without you
Standing on an earth that knows your name
Dirt above brings you to the past
But the echo of what was remains© 2018 Andrew Drennen
Photo taken myself with a DSC-H300 with color adjustment in post.
This piece is fairly straightforward in its meaning. But there are a few things that were in mind as I started writing this several months back.
The line, “As, silently, I sit here in this room” was originally going to be, “And silence the beeping in this room”. A reference to the sound of hospital equipment connected to my loved ones that lay dying.
The lines, “Standing on an earth that knows your name / Dirt above brings you to the past” each refer, respectively, to in-ground interment and the common axiom, “dust to dust“.