Performance Piece

Cherry

By Silver Spun Sand

Mon, 31 Aug 2015
  • 1408 reads
4 comments
 
No permanent memorial, she’d insisted;
instead, she requested her ashes be scattered 
from Southwold Pier...
 
Oh, and it wasn’t to be a sombre affair...smiles
all round, she wanted;
 
no tears, no black, no bibles, not
that she didn’t believe in her god.  
More she didn’t want to chance Him 
putting ‘a damper on things’, as she put it. 
 
 ‘Want it to be a happy occasion; celebrate
the life I had, not the life I had not.’
Sorry, if that jars with what you had in mind,’
 
her words unwinding, still, from my ears.
 
How very much she’d loved this place, though;
row on row of beach huts, all painted 
a different shade of folly.
 
We offered up no prayers; instead, 
each read a favourite poem,
 
except for me; too choked up to make
any meaningful sense; glad of the rain
to mask my tears. And then a tap
on the shoulder. 
 
“This a poetry reading, lady?” enquires
a sunny faced Japanese gent – wife and two kids in tow; 
a Canon ‘Power Shot’, at the ready.
 
“I guess you’re right,” I say, because it was...of sorts,
so with that, one of his kids, after a prod from Dad, 
gives a memorable rendition;
 
‘Winkle, winkle, little tar’ a performance piece
with a twist, ensured there were smiles all round,
and so her final wish was granted;
 
God sure does move in mysterious ways.   
 
 
Certificate PG
Poem
Silver Spun Sand Poems
Spiritual
Biography
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by Starfish Girl on

Tina, you never fail to have lovely little, and beautiful, insights into your daughter's too brief life, and death.

Love Southwold too and your description of the beach huts is more than poetic.

A poem that brings tears and smiles, as she wanted.

Lindy

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Lindy, your words touched my heart...and if you ever should return to Southwold, and happen to walk the pier, my daughter's plaque is there, engraved with the words, 'The Sound of the Sea is Yours Forever'.  

Tina

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Tina...this was such an endearing piece of writing and it must have been very emotional for you. It was so nice that your daughter got her wish through the voice of a child...definitely a little angel. angel

Very much enjoyed reading and thank you for sharing.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Jenny, thank you for words, and as for sharing, I know that this is what she would have wanted, above all else.

Tina