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The Journey Home

playing ukelele

The Inspiration

When my wife Laurie and I moved to California over thirty years ago our first friends were Kirsten and Ted. Thirty years later we were at her bedside as she was dying. We were part of their family, and we were together for almost every holiday meal or family get-together. In these last days we would visit her in her home, hospitals, convalescent and memory care facilities five to six times a week. Our visits amounted to my wife talking to her and reminding her where she was and and how we loved her. At each and every visit Kirsten would request for me to play my ukulele and sing her favorite Christian songs and always ending with Amazing Grace. In her last couple of days I woke up once again at 2:11 a.m. and wrote this poem.

The Journey Home

by Joseph Sorrentino

Message from a friend entering eternity

I hover over myself below
Its my Last Dance with death
Caregivers running around like ants at a picnic
Trying to change the course of life

Memories of my favorite songs playing
Not a harp or refined sweet voice
But an off-key expression of love
With a worried smile trying to give me joy

The songs are like a soft breeze kiss
Sent by God to stage my last breath
I can feel the tips of my toes turning to dust
As the gates of heaven open
It’s like an eternal climax materializing
And I smile to watch the adversary below
He’s far behind looking up with disgust
As he watches my embrace in the arms of Christ
My unspoken words to you
There’s a place for eternal love
Don’t get discouraged in your world
It will pass, and you can see the new me