honeysuckles

odes to my Grandaddy

the honeyed scent greets me like your warm smile used to:
gentle, welcoming, joyful, true.
six thousand miles and one year away from you,
these honeysuckles blooming brightly
on this quiet street remind me
of you and your humble generosity.

in your yard
we learned to taste the simple good,
to savor and rejoice in what was before us:
honeysuckles, pecans, the mulberry tree
that became everything our imaginations could dream up.

under your care
we learned to find the sweetness
within the boundary lines of the pleasant places 
of our delightful inheritance,
which is better than anything our imaginations could dream up.

---

Tribute poem written for my Grandaddy’s 80th birthday celebration

Omar Nelson Carlile
The signature wink and twinkle of the eye
That follows the punchline delivered so modestly
Breaks the whole table and together we laugh.
It is a good joke, if told a thousand times before, 
It still lands on both feet and warms hearts, 
And keeps the conversation going.
That's the whole point, isn't it? To be together,
To sit and linger and enjoy one another, 
Munch on the snacks particularly purchased 
To suit all our dozens of cravings? Yes.
Yes. This man of honor who sits at the table 
So humbly is a shepherd of relationships, 
Of family, of laughter, of integrity.
Perhaps his hands best display the way he serves:
They have endured their share of struggle, 
They have labored to provide and protect, 
They are strong and scarred and gentle, 
Ever-ready to step in and help in quiet, 
Unthanked ways. There is a wisdom
This man carries, a wisdom won through time, 
A wisdom maintained through prayers,
A wisdom set up as a legacy, an inheritance, 
For all who follow and are willing to learn.
It is the best gift we could ask for,
To bear witness to the fruit this man of honor
Has cultivated with meticulous care.
We are rich, we who love him, 
We are richer than kings.

---

Omar Nelson Carlile, 85, passed away on May 22, 2025 at his home in Bedford, Texas. He was born on February 8, 1940 in Cisco, Texas to Howard and Gladys Carlile. He married his wife Pat on August 15, 1958 in Childress, Texas.

He graduated from Childress High School in May 1958, and he went on to serve in the Air Force from 1959-1963. Then he worked in computer technology and support until he retired in 2005.

Omar and Pat eventually settled in Bedford, Texas, and they have lived in the same house for the last 53 years. He loved fishing, hunting, harvesting pecans, maintaining his yard, being with his family, and caring for his neighbors. He served in a variety of roles in the church from cleaning the building to being a committee chair and eventually an elder.

Omar was a loving husband, father, Grandaddy, neighbor, and friend. He was kindness personified and an honorable man in every way. After working hard his whole life, he thoroughly enjoyed spending his retirement years with his wife Pat.

His sudden departure was a shock to everyone, but because of his strong faith in Jesus we take comfort in knowing he is in Heaven where we will be reunited with him again.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Gladys Carlile, and his brother, John Carlile.

He is survived by his wife Pat, his three daughters: Carrie Smith (Tim), Cathi Lang (Paul), and Cindy Danielson (David), and his son Craig Carlile; as well as by 19 grandchildren: Ian Micah Smith (Jenni), Aanna Greer (Logan), Eli Smith, Ellie Lang, Josiah Danielson (LeeAnn), Hannah Loizeaux (Matt), Emilie Gonzalez (Eddie), Arielle Upchurch (Shane), Jordan Smith, Abigail Jones (Rob), Taylor Danielson (Casey), Esther Jones (Jeremy), Martha Myer (Gaines), Jesse Lang (Sophie), Gavin Lang (Kenna), Faith Danielson, Eden Lang, Ren Lang, and Jake Carlile; and 35 great-grandchildren.