So Long...

Sunshine walls crowd darkened guests,
We wait with disbelieving hearts.
Wandering in, we take a seat,
And our honoured guest arrives.

The people here all knew him well,
And the irony lies in this way:
After all those years alone,
He'd have loved to see them today.

We remember smiles of childhood,
An ill but besotted young boy,
A family-fighting love,
Battle with Faith and gift of Joy.

His life laid out before us,
A man with a mighty heart,
A story of many acts,
In which we all have played a part.

No doubt we'll torture ourselves,
With all the 'I should have rung's
But all of that's too late now.
He's gone to join his loved one.

I cannot help my crying,
As I remember once again,
All the reasons why I loved him,
That gentle giant among men.

She says, 'We love you, you know that?'
And  in our hearts, you can tell,
That as the curtain is drawn,
We whisper a final farewell...

'So long Grandad'