To My Children when I am gone

A cloud once spoke to me

As it cried down on the Earth

I had forgotten my fathers promise 

By the tree of forever 

A foolish child sadly remembers 

The wisdom a father tried to impart 

When the tops of redwoods 

Bristle his breath on me 

May you not follow my folly 

You are him

I see it in your laughter and smile 

Hidden behind such bravado 

Don’t hide from me

Or the world 

Let a million ancestors rejoice

In your accomplishments beloved 

And remember my voice 

In the autumn winds of tomorrow 

The hue of my pupils 

In the skies of winter 

Where tears will well up around your eyes 

And the wish of my presence 

Is never more 

Remember I love you