A Solitary Van

On an empty road
I came upon

a feathery corpse,
a solitary van.

I imagine this van
unwittingly leading a line of cars.

The first one is a hearse.

This is a journey
my family will make.

This actual road
is the one we'll take

to say goodbye to Dad, Mum's man,
at Lincoln Crematorium.

After that
he figures in no future plan,

becomes a memory,
a feeling in our hearts,

a presence that gladdens us,
and hurts.


Copyright Bernard Young 2011


On Thursday we received a call from hospital advising us to get to Dad's bedside. Today, Saturday, he's almost gone, but is still hanging on.

I know you will wish me well. I wanted to do this blip to let regular visitors to my journal know why I've been missing and am likely, very soon, to be missing again.

But while I'm here I would like the usual fun to continue. Thanks.