The Seat Being Vacant

A News Response Poem

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Three dark shapes:
Cypress the first, 
humility defined, tulip-edged, 
resting in the soft earth. 
The middle, leaden, 
preserves the unuttered word,
the daffodil a fading echo,
a heavy silence blooming,
the keeper of what might have been. 
Hyacinth, their scent now lost, 
withered in an early frost.
Elm or oak for durability, 
strength, the outer form, 
stark container of a life complete. 
Crocus' bright hues 
against dark wood grain, 
a final spring concluded, 
returning to the soil.
Three stark reminders, 
now condensed to one:
modesty, pride eschewed, 
the lily's solemn grace, 
fleeting beauty surrendered, 
a lasting absence felt.
Beneath the quiet ground, 
a green shoot unfurls a silent banner, 
life unseen, pushing upward. 
A promise whispered 
in the thawing earth: 
the bulb remembers light.

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Author’s note: Upon a Pope's death, the Catholic Church enters sede vacante, a phrase translating to "the seat being vacant." This interim, a bridge between reigns, is governed by the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, which outlines the solemn rituals of papal farewell. According to Vatican News, a poignant tradition marks the final rest: three nested coffins, each layer a testament in material and symbol, enclosing the departed leader. Pope Francis veered from tradition, requesting a single wooden coffin, a departure from the traditional three-coffin practice used for previous pontiffs. This decision reflects Pope Francis's commitment to simplicity and desire to emphasize the papal funeral as that of a shepherd and disciple, not a powerful ruler.

History.com article on Papal Burials

Here's how Pope Francis' funeral broke with tradition (CBS News)

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