Funeral for Sione

Originally posted Thursday, August 09, 2007 on Myspace

I attended the funeral for the father of a friend of mine recently. The man was Tongan (as in from the south pacific island Kingdom of Tonga). The funeral was attended largely by native Tongans and their American born children. The language was almost exclusively tongan (if you have never heard it, it's not like any language I've every heard). Few people in the world speak it. As I sat trying to understand what I was seeing and hearing, I composed this poem.

"Funeral for Sione"
I am the outsider
The stranger
I am in a church but out of my element
I feel vulnerable
I hear but do not understand
I strain to find the meaning
My ears ache for english
FRUSTRATION
But as I quiet my discomfort I discern the feeling behind the words
For hearts understand what no words can express
The love for a father, husband, brother, and friend who will be sadly missed
No translation needed