The Lamp’s Epitaph

I have a lamp from you.
It’s not garish; it’s not bright.
It has no purpose beyond ambient light.
I’ll add it to the others:
The lamps from sisters and mothers.
Their presence in my home
A subtle form of tombstone.

And their epitaph reads:
“A friend was once here,
A heart so dear.
She brightened my life with laughter and tears.
She taught me to open my home and my heart,
Taught me to love Jesus with every part
Of my mind, soul, and strength for all of my days,
But now she is gone. We have parted our ...