Elegy

Elegy

Day 18: write an elegy of your own, one in which the abstraction of sadness is communicated not through abstract words, but physical detail.

The boats float safely in the harbour
Overlooked by a square church with a tall steeple,
Two peaked hills, fishermen' s cottages,  
Each detail picked out in a different shade of wood. 
The picture you pieced together patiently
Over weeks and months -
Your life-long love affair with wood
Enabling the choice of the exact piece of veneer
To bring the scene alive, 
The various grains becoming clouds, ripples in the water -
Now hangs, almost forgotten
Over the bed in the spare room. 
Slightly faded, it stills holds its power
To remind me of you
My patient,  dogged,  father
Always there in the background, 
Quietly giving support,  a safe haven.  

© Copyright 2019. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved



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