The Long Shadow

My Mother died in March 2024, a few weeks short of her 94th birthday. She was a wonderful caring and sometimes very funny person. In April, her ashes were scattered in the gardens of the local crematorium and I was struck by the way they resembled a shadow on the grass, albeit white - in a photographic negative way - as if she was still standing amongst us in a family portrait. The Long Shadow Scattered by the Oak A 10 by 2 vein casts a shadow Of her On this April evening Is she right here with us? Is she right here with us? Tissue in her sleeve We walk away And see her shadow Unite with the sunset Farewell We turn around And leave her shadow To blend with the sunset Farewell Farewell Her shadow stretches out From this solemn place we head home As the night descends She’ll sit outside our bedrooms To kill off the monsters To kill off the monsters Till we fall asleep We walk away And see her shadow Unite with the sunset Farewell We turn around And leave her shadow To blend with the sunset Farewell It’s not a song of my regrets Unspoken words Because I said it all the night before she left So farewell It’s not a song of words unspoken no Cos I said it all the night before she left us It’s not a song of words unspoken no unspoken Cos I said it all the night before she left It’s not a song of my regrets Unspoken words Because I said it all the night before she left So Farewell