Misericordia

Misericordia

When we met, there was damp light rain,
And now lost in the mist, in the pain,
That damp light rain foreshadows tears,
In the darkness of ending, my fears;
The coming of shadows in the light:
Dusk shatters illusions, brings blight,
And severed dreams, lost souls:
No written word, no sacred scrolls,
Give words enough to comfort me,
Either for the now, or for eternity;
Grief is another country, far away,
Under the cold stars, close of day;
This twilight existence, remember how
We had so much joy. The past is now.

Memories, so many, of the first meeting
At St Ouen, hesitant, afraid of greeting;
And later, as we came to know more,
The opening of the lover’s door;

Wicked wit, sharp mind, fun, fun, fun,

Drowsy afternoons resting in the sun;
To boldly go where no one has gone:
All things pass away, depend on
Change and decay, but even later,
As you sickened, loved you greater,
Bore hurt to see your pain, so tired:
Love sees past infirmity the desired;
But I grieved to see you so struggle,
Life a balancing act, an act to juggle,
Between the possible and the ideal;
Dreams taken, death comes to steal,
And the moment is snatched away,
In an instant; the sunset touch, dismay
And shock, and then flow fast tears,
For all those lost and vanished years;
Only memory remains, joyful, bright,
In which I can see you again in sight;
Time will steal that, as is its way:
So I light a candle, come to pray,
Empty ancient chapel in the dark,
On Pelnish lore, I now embark;
Embraced by night, flickering flame,
And peace at last, the Spirit came;
Now remains the cold, cold tomb,
Hope of rebirth as from the womb;
Ahead the wave of the future breaks
On strange shores, perhaps awakes;
But for now, sorrow is the mindful way:
Before the candle’s flame, I stay;

Remember you as once so near

Remember you, once more, my dear

And nothing is ever the same again:

I weep, I mourn, I cry. Amen.