Items for us?" the caller asked me.
She represented the Vietnam Vets, and
Jack was one.
I knew that even after three years, some
Of his shirts and ties were still hanging in
His closet, so I told the gal, "Yes."
Why was it so hard to give them up?
You would think that seeing the clothing he
Wore would be painful, but rather,
The items somehow soothed me.
But it was time.
I did the hard thing.
I carefully removed the shirts from the
Hangers and searched their pockets.
In one I found a 1971 silver dollar.
In another I found a name tag left over
From church.
I held the shirts close to my heart,
Folded them neatly and gently placed
Them in the yellow plastic bag.
I wept as I worked.
I did the same with Jack's ties, the ones
That his kids and grandkids had turned
Down.
I placed the bag on my patio realizing that I
Was the only one who knew the
Precious treasure it held.
I prayed for the ones who would wear my
Husband's clothes.
The closet is nearly empty, but not quite.
Jack's wedding suit still hangs in the corner.
I can't part with it, not ever.
My kids will need to bag it up when I'm gone.