For AG

A Reply to This

Hymn
by
Arturo Vásquez

That must be you up there.

I always drive down that road,
And witness the proud mountains
Towering over me.

They are covered with
A thin film
Of purple and light-

That must be you up there
Entertaining the oaks
Bent down in might-
The sky looks down to
Caress your feet
And I see you jump up and
Spread out your arms
As if no one is looking.

That must be you up there
Curtsying to love,
I saw you give your heart
To the ocean breeze,
Shy eyes falling to your chest-

I saw you giving it a sweet caress-
Calming the noonday heat
As the sun advanced
Quickly toward the west.

I saw you wed
To the cool fingertips of fog
Coming in from the sea,
They bend over the peaks
And embrace you with a
Silent symphony of wind-

They spread your scent into
The valleys and small hills
Burnt golden by the sun-

They snake their way into
The streets and yards
And welcome the evening
Into our hearts-
With a kiss on the forehead,
They tuck us in and turn out the lights-
They bid us to rest, to be still,
To lie awake in the dark-

And remember that you
Were up there, dancing,
Filling us with hymns
Of splendor and joy.