The Ring

Settings from the first ring were tiny diamond chips

She wore it ‘til the band was thinned by time

He took it to a jeweler, who fashioned a new one

Featuring the old chips and adorned with a carat

It spoke without words of the fortunes they’d gained

And the love they never lost

The ring was made to last

But humans are not

Her fingers thinned; the ring wouldn’t stay on

For a while it was displayed from a chain

But as arthritis set in it became

A literal pain in the neck

And so his jeweler redesigned it as the brooch

Displayed always over her heart

And worn next to the ring that holds his ashes

Evidence of the love they never lost