Tree of lights - Four Seasons Hospice November 14, 2025 - Today I Gave Your Coat Away

 

Today I gave your coat away

The closets are cluttered and this you know

Go through that stuff, It’s got to go.

Lauren won’t wear it, and certainly not you…

Today I found your jacket too.

It’s cold out there and people need. Give it to someone else to lead

Your shoes are gone, They walked away.

There’s no reason all these things should stay.

I know you’re right, You always are

Let’s not argue about this anymore 

I’ll put all this stuff into the car.

I’ll go downtown, It’s not too far.

There are blouses and sweaters and belts and such

But when you really look at it, It’s not all that much

There’s no good reason all these things should stay.

Today I gave your coat away

I want to Say Thank You

I want to say thank you to my wife Tess for whom this poem was written for the 46 years of marriage that we shared and to our daughter Lauren who I affectionately call Tess Junior

To Everyone in The Hospice organization for being there for my Mom and for Tess and for everything you do for so many people

Thank you to my friends Bob and Richard who supported me in joining Hospice as a volunteer team Pete and Zeke

To Kelly for providing supervision, guidance and support 

To Jessica for her creative efforts in bringing people together and for giving this assignment

To Stephanie who invited me to this event 

And to Jennifer, our dear friend, for being here with me this evening 

Break….Breathe….