Matt

He was a beautiful young First Nations man,
twenty-one, gentle with children,
in love with the elder's daughter,
just starting out as a teacher.

All was good and hopeful
and wonderful in his world.

Then he grew tired, and started running
to try to raise his energy.
Then he went to the doctor.

One morning the elder, Dave,  told us
"Matt has leukemia."
Disbelief. Tears. How could this be?

They gave him a black puppy that Christmas
and it hurt my heart to see him,
a young boy with his pup.
And cancer.

Chemo. Strong positive attitude.
His girl by his side, down in Victoria.
He sent me an angel with a note that read,
 "People have been sending me angels ever since I got sick.
I thought that you might need one, too."

Then Dave came to tell me,
"Matt is just doing Indian medicine now."
They held a potlatch for him
and he was radiant, glowing.
He and his girl were expecting a baby.
She was seven months old when I saw the headline
in the Victoria paper:
MATT LOSES HIS FIGHT WITH CANCER.

In the photo he and his wife and baby daughter,
all beautiful, and smiling.
Dave said there were angels in the room when he passed.
Of course there would be.
They were coming to escort home
one of their own.