Ode to Pietro

By Pat Macejka
Men's Cornerstone XI

Why do I sit with pen in hand?
After all I hardly knew the man.
He shared his tale with men he didn’t know
On a weekend retreat that most said they’d never go.

His body seemed old and weak and thin and lean
Yet through his story, the strength of his spirit could be seen.
To me at least, it seemed to gleam,
To burst forth with a warm and brilliant sheen.

His story was passionate, emotional and touching
And by the end, a tissue I was clutching.
Not bad, I thought to myself
I’ll put that one on my emotional shelf.

I sought him out at the break
To encourage him, for camaraderie’s sake.
And that’s when it happened you see
He turned it around and actually encouraged me.

We spoke to each other for a few minutes on the fly.
And as we parted, I said to myself, “boy, I feel like I know that guy.”
I walked away in something of a haze
As if I was caught up in some emotional maze.

The weekend ended and we went our separate ways
But I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days.
The new Team was formed and we gathered at last
Just after our second meeting we received word that he’d passed.

I waited on a line over three hundred souls long.
I sniffed the moist air and listened to the night’s song.
I’ll pay my respects, it’s no big deal.
Little did I know how I would soon feel.

I heard people talk as I waited
He touched so many lives he might as well have been Sainted.
A little girl, now a woman, who frequented his shop
Recollected she got much needed support, self-assurance and more.

Countless people had a story with him in the center
Did I mention the young kids and him the soccer mentor?
A mother said most other coaches would yell or berate
But not him who would laugh, hug and say, “You did great!”

And then there were the Ironmen and the Ironwomen
These people were no joke; running, biking and swimmin’!
And the marathoners and joggers and those who loved running
He was devoted to sport and encouraged all while funning.

Of the stories told that night, these are just a sample.
As you can guess his love for people and life was ample.
This man had really lived, there could be no doubt
From the Matterhorn I’m pretty sure he did shout.

I learned what I had guessed from our time during break
He was gentle yet strong and mostly for other people’s sake.
I kissed his wife’s cheek in bittersweet sadness
Yet underneath it all I felt a strange sense of gladness.

He was an example, a teacher for others to see.
“I walk with the Lord and He never leaves me.”
As I drove home I felt in a spiritual zone.
After all, it was Pietro who told me. “We don’t walk alone.”
        
The Pietro Maugeri Foundation
"Have a good journey and be always happy - Sempre Allegro"