Dear Hank,
I'm writing to tell you
about your funeral
in case you decided
to skip it

Your son Rob
broke down
even while telling us
stories of how over-
bearing you could be
as a father
and also shared
his deep gratitude for your
constant love and support

Your brother Phil
having just recently
found in Hasidism
something he could lean upon
had arranged for Rabbi Avi
to perform a service
at odds with everything
we know about you
though had you been there
I doubt you would have found it
overly distasteful

Reb Avi
who told us how he once
had brought matzah ball soup
up to your door expressed regret
that you and he
would have no chance to take up
where you left off
speaking with his usual warmth
and his good spirits
he informed us
with the assurance
of a man of faith
how your soul's journey
in these days following
your death
was to unfold

Your sweet wife Norma
kept a low profile
while reaching out to all of us
and was I thought
exemplary in every way
her sister Linda
told the story of how
you and Norma had met
Norma the bellydancer
you the dashing young musician
in Linda's telling
sparks were flying
from the start

Your Latino friend
and fellow pilot
who shared the hanger where
you kept your plane
spoke movingly of how
when he was thirsty
you'd found water for him
and how he'd driven out
to pick you up
the morning
of your final flight
seen you fly over
moments later
heard the crash
there was a photo
of you two smiling
sitting in your plane
taken the day before
it's an image
that I think touched us all

And your friend Milton
told of how you'd flown together
in his plane
north up the road to Seven Feathers
a quick jaunt
for lunch at the casino
and on the way back
run into bad weather
the local airfields all socked in
the plane itself he said
appeared to turn itself around
not one for putting stock
in miracles Milton confessed he'd found
it all a bit uncanny
in any case you'd managed
to land up in Roseburg
slept in a motel
and flown home safely
the next day

After the psalms
and Hebrew prayers
we lowered you
in your pine box
you were a heavy load
then we took turns
with shovels laying dirt
into the grave
the spot was just above
the little Ashland airfield
so that even now
you get to hear the planes
take off and land
as they fly over
I can imagine you
lying there
in your casket
smiling to yourself