plans change

plans change
changed plans

nails
painstakingly gilded

clothes
already laid
waiting to be worn
hat, necklace, skirt and top

carefully chosen
for traveling, teaching and
traveling again
to dance
at joyous wedding

as John Lennon sang:
"life is what happens,
when you're making other plans"

teaching cancelled
then
too complicated
to travel
to wedding

but
was reminded
that today's the day
to remember

to remember the life
and too early death--by murder
by terrorists' guns

--Rachella
who loved to dance

and
instead of dancing
with the bride
I will
go to Rachella's grave

and I will dance
with her memory