Aunt Alice
has gone
Aunt Alice
has gone
all
that was said
nothing
else needed
set
off for the North
cold
was the air
snow
in the wind
stone
baptist chapel
up
on the moors
west of the city
chapel was empty
save
the few mourners
chill penetrates all
pastor
spoke words
paragraph for Alice
summed
up her life
back
for the wake
small
talk
meaningless
chatter
Alice
was special
kind,
generous and loving
this
beautiful person
Aunt Alice
has gone
I feel sad
this
is the end
22 comments:
Funerals can sometimes feel very 'packaged' and 'a paragraph' is inadequate to give us a sense of a person's life. My father didn't want a funeral. He felt those who knew him didn't need a funeral to be reminded of who he was, and those who didn't really know him wouldn't get a true sense of who he was at a funeral.
Jenny: Your father was so right. This charade/funeral is more upsetting for those who knew the deceased well and feel their life appeared shallow when in fact it was full of goodness. Hey ho and so it will continue.
Tough to lose a friend. Many of us leave a simple life behind, but some great memories.
Hi There, I have always said that I want a 'happy' funeral ---a celebration of the joys in my life. I don't enjoy going to sad funerals --with lots of tears.
Alice was probably a very happy and joyful lady --who would want others to remember that.
I don't know why people 'think' they can't celebrate one's life at their funeral. Some people think it is being disrespectful I think...
In New Orleans, their Cajun funerals consist of a parade/band/joy... I love it!!!!
Hugs,
Betsy
Out on the prairie: Aunt Alice was a good friend.
Betsy in Tennessee: Aunt Alice was of the old school and would have considered a celebration plain wrong. This is why it was a sombre affair. We are all different.
sad...
Life and travelling
Cooking
Sorry you've lost such a good friend, funerals are hard,
Funerals are for the living. Really such a strange ritual when you think about it.
Ola; yes but she was 82 so a good age
Crafty Green Poet: but she was a good age - 82
Nancy Claeys: Strange affairs as you say.
I feel your melancholy. How sad to sum up a life in a paragraph... and then that's all.
EG CameraGirl : It was that one paragraph which put the lid on the sadness.
Funerals are peculiar things. The more conventional and sober ones always feel to me as though we are sealing up the cardboard box of someone's life, writing the address on it and paying the postage.
The only comforting thing about the scary process of dying is that everyone who has tried it so far has succeeded, there's not been a failure yet. That sort of takes the performance pressure off!
The Owl Wood: Your comments made me smile albeit wryly - thank you so much.
I've just been catching up on your poetry, loved your view of the pheasant, but how sad to come in at Alice's funeral. I do feel lucky to have been able to celebrate my husband's life (he believed funerals were for the living too) with music and dancing and sharing of memories all round on a day that felt like a family picnic. We organised it ourselves and the funeral director stayed away until the next day.
You know how wonderful Alice was. I hope you can grieve for her well, maybe with others who shared your love for her.
Lady M: I do enjoy Mrs. Pheasants company still,daily. A celebration of a life is much preferable to austere goodbye.The day you had for your husband sounds perfectly wonderful and leaves those left behind with happy thoughts of him. :) X
This is a lovely tribute to Alice.
CherryPie: Good old Aunt Alice, I miss her.
What a lovely way to remember someone. This is so moving it brought a lump to my throat. Well done, Poet. Another one for the reference library!
Doris: Thanks.
Post a Comment