This morning I remember loved ones lost
And marvel that they don’t seem so remote.
These memories, as always, have a cost.

I found a swaying cedar brake embossed
In white, a glaze that seemed to make it float.
This morning I remember loved ones lost.

I’m not sure when these remnants had been tossed,
I found them in the lining of my coat.
These memories, as always, have a cost.

I put it on today against the frost
And felt a hint of tightness in my throat.
This morning I remember loved ones lost.

Not long ago, I thought that they’d been crossed
From traces of a life I live by rote.
These memories, as always, have a cost.

With nothing more of feeling to exhaust,
I’ll mark it down as something I must note:
This morning I remember loved ones lost.
These memories, as always, have a cost.