It’s been quite a while since my last post, I know. The reasons for that are multiple but one of the reasons is my Grandpa, Ray, passed away peacefully on 29 March 2015 after a two month stint in hospital. He was 87 years old and it has been so hard saying good-bye to someone who had such a huge impact on my life. I thought I would upload the poem that I wrote and shared at his funeral last week.
His unquenchable thirst
Pushed him to new heights.
He was my Pa Pa first
Umpiring my sister fights.
Little hands knead the dough;
Big ones made such a mess.
The flour: high and low;
Grandma sure earned her rest.
His booming laugh roared,
Around his chair, we would run.
In strong arms enfolded,
As we giggled with the fun.
The law now behind me
He allayed all my fears.
He was still proud of me
All of my days and years.
Becoming a Great Grandpa:
The next step for Ray.
Raising the flag to the stars,
He was fierce proud that day.
Looking at pictures of us,
He told me happily
that we were all his:
His precious family.
He got knocked down,
The Comeback King Ray.
Inner strength he found,
He did things his way.
I miss his face,
His hair needing a comb.
But he ran his race.
And now he has gone home.
His love was fierce,
I’m not me without him.
His loss does pierce
But I know I will see him.
I see him in the sun,
Young and walking tall,
Eyes sparkling with fun,
Waiting with Jesus for us all.
You’d look at me and smile,
You knew me so well.
You raised me up high,
And I never fell.
You knew how I loved you.
I knew you were never far.
So now I say thank you
For being my Grandpa.
As Shakespeare once wrote,
“Now cracks a noble heart! Good night, sweet prince; And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!”
My last words to Grandpa were, I love you and I’ll see you soon. Today, I want to say the same thing.
Fly away Pa Pa and until we meet again, I love you.
Prose & Cons 