Dear One: I loved you in secret,
so I must grieve you in secret.
Every revelation from you
is now a salve for my grief,
and I bless the holy breath
that gave birth to my spirit.
I once sought you in shadows,
now I bury you in the shadows
with aloe and myrrh and linen—
simple gifts in return for your
extravagance. Be comforted
that you live in our memories.