Dearest Sue,

Our lives had known so little loss before your death
we hardly knew how to take it.
You left a void near impossible to fill,
though I have tried.
From one former single mother to another,
thank you for the son you raised,
and for showing him what a true life partner could be
when you found your own.

Some called you a witch
when you found water’s flow beneath the earth
with your willow rods.
Others named you horse whisperer,
healing broken bodies and minds
with nothing but your gentle touch
and whispered strengthening words.
Perceptive beyond the norm,
sensing both good and danger within,
you guided and protected all you met.
Your many talents approached
the occult, yet I never knew
a woman both spiritual
and earthbound, before you.

I love you,
mother-in-law.
You are still here.