For Kurt, now gone

This is for Father Kurt Olson, my field education supervisor in seminary in the early eighties.  He died over the weekend while waiting to be well enough for bypass surgery.  He never had the bypass surgery, but I know he is completely healed, and singing in his beautiful tenor voice.  Now he has a renewed vision of eternal life.  

There are things

I never forgave you for:

The vision of heaven

With bishops in the inner ring,

God, of course, in the center.

Priests held hands,

The next ring out.

We will not note

What this vision says

For everyone else.

There are things

I never quite forgave you for,

A few things.

Now that you are gone,

You truly know

What happens Next.

I picture you laughing.

You,

Most likely,

Still have a laugh

Big as the all outdoors.

Here

On the other side of the veil,

I laugh with you.

I remember you laid your hands

On my head,

Wanted me to be

The first woman

You helped ordain.

Here

On the other side of the veil

I laugh with you.

Here
On the other side of things
All is forgiven.