38 years on and you are still in my thoughts every day. Your face is fading but your light still shines. You will be proud of me, I am finally learning to listen. This is for you, out there exploring the universe somewhere.

The Universe Keeps Expanding

The universe keeps expanding,
and still your laughter drifts,
a faint aurora in the dust
between the stars’ cold rifts.

Light born from your last smile
has not yet dimmed nor died;
it sails the dark forever,
where time and grief collide.

I speak your name in silence,
and comets bend to hear,
their silver tails like messages
you send from somewhere near.

Though galaxies keep spinning
beyond what I can see,
your echo folds the cosmos back
and brings you home to me.

• Jay Rose Ana