My Mother died in March 2024, a few weeks short of her 94th birthday. She was a wonderful caring and sometimes very funny person. In April, her ashes were scattered in the gardens of the local crematorium and I was struck by the way they resembled a shadow on the grass, albeit white - in a photographic negative way - as if she was still standing amongst us in a family portrait.
The Long Shadow
Scattered by the Oak
A 10 by 2 vein casts a shadow
Of her
On this April evening
Is she right here with us?
Is she right here with us?
Tissue in her sleeve
We walk away
And see her shadow
Unite with the sunset
Farewell
We turn around
And leave her shadow
To blend with the sunset
Farewell
Farewell
Her shadow stretches out
From this solemn place we head home
As the night descends
She’ll sit outside our bedrooms
To kill off the monsters
To kill off the monsters
Till we fall asleep
We walk away
And see her shadow
Unite with the sunset
Farewell
We turn around
And leave her shadow
To blend with the sunset
Farewell
It’s not a song of my regrets
Unspoken words
Because I said it all the night before she left
So farewell
It’s not a song of words unspoken no
Cos I said it all the night before she left us
It’s not a song of words unspoken no unspoken
Cos I said it all the night before she left
It’s not a song of my regrets
Unspoken words
Because I said it all the night before she left
So Farewell
