Artist

Alexander Averin

Wednesday 23 November 2011

Farewell





Farewell


Nearing nine decades, you were

weak of heart, frailer than frail,

thinner than thin, paler than pale,

never one to give in, your soul had lost its body’s–fight.

Your mind, still strong, your voice was weak,

only your eyes could tell of its defeat;

(those eyes, intelligent and wise).

Fading fast about us, the only will remaining, was the will to live,

its strength of purpose hung about the bed

courting your spirit, preparing for its flight.

I could almost taste the ward, so white,

the sterile coldness seeping deep inside your ag`ed bones.

The Earth became a stranger to you then;

you’d little left to learn, nought to fear, it was clearly time to leave,

without one tiny tear or ounce of fuss, right to the end,

(no softly-spoken angels in your wake),

just a final straightening-up, one quick soft look, an outstretched hand

so all seemed strangely right and fitting for the day.

For me, a sadness and a pain

that lies down low, so deep within my heart,

a grief that I must bear, soothed only by your strength.

I felt that as you quietly passed; your spirit rose

to stillness and to certain Paradise,

away from all the darkness and the sadness in this world,

the world you bade farewell to on that stark November day.


Cait O’Connor

10 comments:

Vee said...

This so perfectly describes what I was feeling as I said goodbye to my grandmother last November. How incredible that you could have felt the same way and been able to articulate it this beautifully. I'm in awe.

Frances said...

Oh Cait, this is a poem that has touched me so deeply.

Thank you.

Fennie said...

Go now, gently, into that good night;
I'll stay and watch the dying of the light.

Mac n' Janet said...

So moving, I wasn't able to be with either of my parents when they died and this poem touched me deeply.
Thank you.

Dave King said...

Universal thoughts and feelings in the particular - the essence of great poetry. A truly lovely poem.

Pondside said...

You've put into words what so many of us can't express as we say good bye to the beloved members of the generation that raised us.

Elizabeth said...

Dear Cait,
this has captured exactly the passing of my beloved 93 year old aunt this past year.
So eloquent.

Tracy Golightly-Garcia said...

Hello Cait

Words cannot describe how I feel.

Thank you for sharing.

Best
Tracy :)

Anonymous said...

That's a beautiful poem, Cait. Thank you for sharing it.

CJ xx

Friko said...

A quiet farewell; a poem to treasure.