The Ascension
A free verse poem by Laney Mills

A heartbeat.
A whisper.
A touch.
A breath.
A smile.
A hug.
The sound of her voice when she answers the phone knowing it’s you.
The charisma he embodies when he winks at you from across the room.
Manifestations of life! Evidence of living.
A future interaction - silently, naively assured.
So happy upon receiving a text from a friend,
expecting, “Merry Christmas!”.
As she types, your soul is dampened by the weight of grief -
her mother, your mother’s best friend, has died.
Ecstatic over a call from your friend later on Christmas Day.
Stunned by the words she utters - “Debbie has died”.
Silence - like that of a snow covered forest descends upon the call.
Our voices taken hostage - robbed by the thief we all know as death.
She was a friend -
a mother - a daughter - a grandmother - a wife - a best friend.
With the mighty, ever so gentle wave of The Creator’s will…she is gone.
Ascended - to be with God.
Vanished - yet leaving traces of love, traces of memories, traces of smiles..
My friend’s soul, while grieving, is still in it’s earthly place.
Hers - called an earthly body.
Her mother - now in her Heavily body - perfect.
Called to the Home before her birth where she was waiting to be born.
With her Savior, Christ our Lord.
He ascended before her - there now to greet her.
Her spirit is alive!
Thus God’s plan, The Ascension.
COPYRIGHT2025 - @laneyswords.substack.com
A poem by Laney Mills in honor of my Mother’s best friend and the painful reality of the fleeting nature of life as it is supposed to be, ordained by God in His wisdom. His wisdom that I often fail to understand and have lately to often shake my head and question.
Only to come to the conclusion, He knows better.
With love, and faith, Laney



With pleasure, I am present at your writing, happy new year, may it always be the best.