Cleaning Julie's grave

Every year their is a big mound of snow on Julie's grave. The plows push snow and rocks on her grave all winter. I was too sad to visit her grave on her third year anniversary of her death. After going to Charlie Moulds funeral today, I decided to visit.

I loaded up the rake and a tarp,and drove to Montague Michigan. Their was rocks and debris around her grave. As I raked I asked Julie's bones if she was talking to Charlie, I lost another family member to Cancer. Do they have a Cancer club in Heaven? I don't know. Charlie died at fifty nine, fourteen years longer than Julie. I wish I had fourteen more years with Julie.

I am raking all of the dead grass and rocks,the old birthday candles that melted on her crystal birthday cake we made in the dead of winter. It is a dead calm, crying silently I finish. I decide to clean up Grandma and Grandpa's grave too. Terry the Aunt I never met was next store, so I did that one.

I hate going to Julies grave, I still go. She is below me, in her beautiful dress,still and cold.

I light a candle and sit on her tombstone watching a squirrel. I hope she is talking to Charlie and the rest of the family, I can't hear the conversation, just the whispers.