Reading Time: 2 minutes
It is a bitterly cold morning, I'd say.
And strangely, for such an occasion,
Full of happy coincidences.
You do really have to wonder if
There is a divine purpose
Behind every event in life?
Paul, born in the same village
As the rather mind-numbing Dutchman,
Is a real cause for amazement.

Everyone says he was a brilliant chap.
Turns out they knew him better than me.
Bill tells us a humorous tale,
Of when they were stopped by police.
John makes me smile as he shakes
Beside me with fear of the crowd.
But he has no need to fear
They are all hungry for distraction –
For a reason to laugh or smile.

It is all strange. All alien, it seems.
And it is affecting me weirdly.
Perhaps it is about my age?
Advancing years take you by surprise;
Do some unexpected things
To your psyche and your brain.
And now this bloody function
Comes into my life quite uninvited
And damned well makes my throat painful!

It's an ache of the heart in reality.
The man inside that pale pine casket
Was the first person I'd seen in –
Touched by – the mystical state of death.
His ‘cold’ warmer than expected.
But it was sadly no surprise.
Cancer is a bastard thing.
And he would know that much more than me;
I got off lightly, when compared.

It is a long day, Robert, my friend.
For you the last in physical form.
Today you'll pass through the fire –
Not that you will be concerned at all -
You are now in a better place
I wholeheartedly believe...

… it's a bit of a cliché, I understand, 
but please bear with me 
while I wipe away these damn tears.


© Allen Ansell 2021