Tuesday, 26 January 2016

Hukka Farewell


The thing about the service at the crematorium
was that I couldn't hear the soft voices
of her white haired brother
her beautiful granddaughter
her friend
reading their tributes
to her 
and her musical life.

So it was a good thing when the father of the
two little girl twins
who had been making lots of bored children 
noise
picked them up 
one in each arm 
and whisked them down the isle 
 and outside,

because when her son-in-law

from the island of Tonga
stood in front of her coffin
painted with all the wild flowers she loved
 bent his head 
 struck his chest
 and roared his great Hukka farewell to her,

they would have been frightened 
those little girls.

But the rest of us were silent and in awe
 because
 when the honour in his voice, 
his love for her
filled the building 
to the rafters
I knew then how loved she was.

And how much she loved us.







No comments:

Post a Comment