by Julia Griffin

“People leaving tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II have been asked not to leave Paddington Bear soft toys,
marmalade sandwiches, and to remove the wrapping from flowers in an effort to make the tributes more sustainable.”
—The Guardian

Grief finds its outlet in so many languages:
How may a nation express how it cares?
Witness these tributes of marmalade sandwiches,
Cellophane wrapping, and rain-hatted bears.

Time brings connection, assuring, reminding:
Our lives are played out against eras of kings;
Now a long era is done and we’re finding
The hardness of putting off childish things.