TRAGIC Poem: Rose, by Dylan Pullen

Do you remember playing outside? Tossing me pitches while you stayed to the side. Or maybe the games we’d sit and watch? We both believed the Braves would always be top-notch! These small, genuine moments lost in the space of time are the same ones I replay right before Bedtime.

How about birthdays? You made them the best! Other Grandma is my favorite, I’d declare from my chest. Nobody understands, but I see it so clear. You loved me for me, it still brings me to tears. You were my world and my reason to push, to impress grandma, these guys had to get Crushed!

I’ll never forget the Christmas’s we spent huddled together. To me, being by your side couldn’t be better. Dinner was always a statement, delicious and divine. I’d call dibs on ribs number 2 through 9! The gifts were awesome but never my number 1 reason. Being around your favorite people can thaw your heart from freezing.

Your lessons in manners never went unheard. Always in my heart, every single word. You taught me to be a man and carry myself with pride. I told myself your funeral, would be the only time I cried.

You’d tell me my games were the greatest, and you can’t wait to see them. Increasing my confidence, I’d do anything to beat them. I loved to see you smile and clap when I showed up. It showed me my love meant so, so much to someone.

I carried this confidence even when we were apart. Knowing I had a family to represent, who had been there from the start. With my chest held high, there was none who could phase me. I had the best support group possible, not only to push me but also to accept praise with me. Beginning in youth football, my mindset developed. I was going to be the best, whether they wanted me to or not.

I never believed time would run short. Some day soon, the lord will call you to his court. To 10 year 10-year-old me, my world was falling apart. The pain still lingers deep within my heart. With the time we had left, I made the most. Every March 31st, I raise a toast to the host whom I loved the absolute most.

I vividly remember exactly when time froze. The angels had called, and it was your time to go. I never thought it’d happen so soon. There was so much to show you before you soared past the moon. Unspoken words, but shared through prayer. I’m positive they reached you, the only reason I care.

Mom brought me to the funeral, Dad was waiting outside. I embraced him and told him to smile, Grandma loved us both for a good long while. She saw the best in us and believed with all her heart. It was her world, we were just here playing our part. Our suits were matching black, with flowers in hand. Going to see the women who made both of us men.

A chip on the shoulder is what most people called it. A reminder to be great, from the one who told me first. What separated me from the rest was who brought me up from my worst. A mentality of steel and a will to break any curse.

This carried on throughout my sports career. Always working to improve year by year. They would ask what pushes me, why I show up so early. Because I have a beautiful woman watching up where the gates are pearly. High school was hard without her on the sidelines, but having her in my heart was enough to handle the blindside. From switching schools to moving states, the hardships were tough. Through prayer and belief, I knew I’d be more than enough. Then high school ended, and adulthood had to begin. First stop on my 18th birthday was a chair with a pen. My first tattoo, I knew, had to be something special. The woman I loved the most deserved flowers and rose petals. It was a sacred moment, one that meant everything to me. I finally had something that made me smile whenever it was seen.

Your impact is incredibly hard to put into words. Me and dad sit and talk all through summer. Sharing stories and tales of our journeys together, 2 of grandmas peas in a pod, from the exact same feather. I’ll miss you forever, that never has to be told. I will achieve greatness all for my Beautiful Rose.