deduce*
(in memory of Jean Kennedy Smith (1928-2020),            

United States ambassador to Ireland)

by Ruth Esther Gilmore

through pleated green daylights     
where oceans lean on cliffs     
     fogs cling to cotton sails     
     crumbling to brittle dust     
pegasus outlines his vast flights       

i see into your heart     
discover the goodness
    and fiery courage
    to overcome challenges     
to finish whatever you start       

quiet valleys tenfold
are caressed by the winds     
    i see into your soul
    assured that you will not fail
to conclude the legends of old       

and when the dragons twist     
always hope against hope     
     mastering your veiled fears           
      with heartbeats of gained victories
always remain an optimist       

                                                                     *from the book “braving life in these uncertain

                                                                      times” (Geest-Verlag) by Ruth Esther Gilmore