I sing a sweet goodbye
With words that were the best I had to give.
They'll ring soft and true
And they should be what's left behind,
For it's in them I really lived.

When who I was grew pale
And there was not enough of me left to see,
I left my shadow on the page
And there I took some form again
As the last of me flowed free.

I want to leave it here
And not go until it's all been spent.
I want to spill each ounce of love,
Knowing that I wasted nothing
And the shell was empty when I went.

I can feel my body drain;
With each tear there comes relief,
As my soul already starts to lift...
Freed, joyful in release,
Finally rid of the weight of grief.

When I think about it now,
I have to wonder why I was so sad...
Why I mourned so over seeing nothing,
Looking ahead to loneliness
Instead of looking back at what I had.

I'm nearly empty now
And each new moment brings such peace.
I rid myself of sorrow here
And there's a strange and calming happiness
In the prospect of release.

I feel no guilt or anguish,
Though there will be some who say I should,
For other lives go on
And though it never seemed enough,
I know I loved the best I could.

I sing a sweet goodbye
And finally close my eyes to sleep.
My words are all I have to leave
But they're the best of what I was
And now they're yours to keep.

©1998 Gail Von Schlichting