Mother
there is a frozen silence
both sides of our window.
Outside, a white sheet steals
the joy of herbs and plants,
decorates the half-worked
green climbing our un-finished
fence.
Three electric poles are alive.
Daffodils are popping through
disliked moss greens,
calves entertain electric
fences
and woken tractors are feeding
fields.
Inside, a voice is echoing
your
granddaughter’s telephoned
message,
stilling thoughts, and delivering
the cold news that you have
passed.
Landscape with Grave, Coffin, and Owl -- Caspar David Friedrich
The painting is regarded as Friedrich's last painting. he suffered his 1st stoke in 1835. Due to the resultant limb paralysis, unable to work in oil, he was limited to sepia and watercolors. He die in relative poverty in 1840. The Romans believed seeing an owl in broad daylight signified imminent death, and it was thought to be able to see the deceased in the afterlife.
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