Monday 19 March 2012


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:

Jenny said...

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.

Cuby said...

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.

Out on the prairie said...

Tough to lose a friend. Many of us leave a simple life behind, but some great memories.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

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

Cuby said...

Out on the prairie: Aunt Alice was a good friend.

Cuby said...

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.

Ola said...

sad...

Life and travelling
Cooking

Crafty Green Poet said...

Sorry you've lost such a good friend, funerals are hard,

Nancy said...

Funerals are for the living. Really such a strange ritual when you think about it.

Cuby said...

Ola; yes but she was 82 so a good age

Cuby said...

Crafty Green Poet: but she was a good age - 82

Cuby said...

Nancy Claeys: Strange affairs as you say.

EG CameraGirl said...

I feel your melancholy. How sad to sum up a life in a paragraph... and then that's all.

Cuby said...

EG CameraGirl : It was that one paragraph which put the lid on the sadness.

The Owl Wood said...

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!

Cuby said...

The Owl Wood: Your comments made me smile albeit wryly - thank you so much.

Lady Mondegreen's Secret Garden said...

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.

Cuby said...

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

CherryPie said...

This is a lovely tribute to Alice.

Cuby said...

CherryPie: Good old Aunt Alice, I miss her.

Doris said...

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!

Cuby said...

Doris: Thanks.