Quietly

"quietly" - comments.

Rae and I loved the beach, finding that it always managed to simultaneously relax, refresh, and exhaust us. Our favorite was Crane Beach in Ipswich. Nearing the beach we always stopped at Russell Orchards for fresh fruit and apple cider donuts. Next we got our blue folding chairs out of the car and walked to the furthest part of the beach. The further you were willing to walk, the fewer people you would see. We always stayed until dusk, slowly walking out and pausing to look at the ocean horizon as it took on a deep violet color. Then off for fresh clams.

This song is a report out about a day together at the beach.

After surviving breast cancer Rae decided that rather than returning to online learning she wanted to devote her life to helping others. I realize this sounds a bit cliché but Rae certainly walked the walk and became significantly involved with numerous organizations. Some of her greatest reward came through the work she did with a Boston hospice where she had the honor of providing Reiki for those who were transitioning from life.

Late one morning she called me at work and asked me if I wanted to take the afternoon off and go to the beach. Her afternoon had become clear in light of a scheduled patient’s passing.

The drive to Ipswich was quiet. Rae wasn’t sad but she was certainly reflective. As evening approached I asked her about the patient, someone I knew she had been close to. She reached over and took my hand in hers and said, “He was a wonderful man and I am certain he is even more so now. You know Glenn, death isn’t sad. It’s a grace.” She rubbed my arm and then turned her gaze back to the horizon, pulling her floppy hat down for shade.

As I sat looking at her I thought, “now this… this is what Beauty is,” and I wondered how I ever got so lucky in this life to be with Rae.

Where to listen...

Rae she... (the love songs) | Tracks

quietly

words and music glenn

quietly, not silently,
the sound of breaking waves,
washes over us.
rae brushes a strand of hair
that’s fallen onto her face.
she laughs at a gull
that’s been stalking us.

alone, but not lonely,
we gaze into the distance
as whales crest the water.
rae captures a spider
that’s crawled onto her leg.
she says it good luck
to always set them free.

outside of time,
only this moment.
as clouds crawl across the sky.
rae studies a shell
she picked up on the shoreline.
she wonders aloud
who it will be for.

rae’s blouse,
sheer white cotton,
floats across
her flawless skin.
she speaks of a hospice patient
recently passed.
she says it grace, it’s not sadness
to pass away.
she says it grace, it’s not sadness
to pass away.

she leans back
and closes her eyes.
and I marvel
at her Beauty.