Requiem For A Journey-Man

A silence fills my soul tonight
As news arrives of end of fight
For you my friend and traveler –
To this your journey's end.

The places you refused to go
As tough as was that row you hoed;
Respect – that's how the rest of us
Let you go your own way;

The cost to you of funds denied;
Your stoic walking by our side;
Your pitching in addressing life
Despite approaching end;

Your cheerfulness; sloughed off regrets;
Accepting paths not journeyed yet –
“I'll walk my journey best I can
And play out to the wings.”

The first for me of those I've met
In Cancer-land, where we all let
Each other travel as they choose –
“Live, give each space”, we said.

The silent part of life we shared
Profession-wise, notes not compared,
Sad end – vocation washed away
For both of us, I sensed.

For we each faced reality –
The coup – end of civility –
Bad manners of their little souls –
Such sad and bitter days.

For me the loss vocationally,
Far harder than this end for me,
Hard as that's been this journey rough,
And even here, tonight.

For work has place for those of us
Of male persuasion – deep the loss –
So much accomplished through our years
To see its last demise.

Small business often goes that way,
When falling sales speed up the day
When all must close the doors at last
And walk back home in tears.

So – banks that fail; when good die young;
Sand castles washed by tide in sun;
End of our works of life swept back
Leaves scars deep in our souls.

The others knew, so moved along
To joyousness, and lifted song
Of triumphs great and small this month
And hopes for future days.

Seven days sit Shiva was a way
To let the mourners be, not say,
“Let's sing, be joyful”– rubbing salt
On open wounds that sting.

But hey! – that's how we lived our lives:
In early morning we'd baptize;
Then council loss; hear wedding vows;
Then home to family nights –

Gut-wrenching shifts few knew about,
As we in Church took leaders’ route –
For forty years of joy and pain
Walked out through others’ days.

So now we part a while, my friend,
Until tomorrow's meeting then
I hope all this is washed away
And we, like children play.

So peace to you, your family,
Peace to your fellows in this way,
Peace to the paths in faith you walked
Peace in this closing night.

navigation