A Poetic Interlude
Remembrances and memories.
Welcome to The Autumn Chronicles, a place to shine a light on all the wonder around us as we navigate the seasons. I hope these writings allow you to sit quietly with a cup of something warm and comforting and take a few moments for yourself away from the rush and hurry. If you would like to make sure you get all newsletters directly to your inbox, please subscribe below. Thank you for being here.
Shortly after Halloween comes All Souls Day, part of the Western Christian season of Allhallowtide. Celebrated across the world in various forms but perhaps most famously as el Día de los Muertos in Mexico, it is a time for remembering those who have gone before and of paying tribute to, as well as commemorating, their lives.
After losing my mother a decade ago and my father-in-law shortly afterwards, we recently lost a much-loved uncle on my husband’s side of the family. I wrote this poem for my mother’s funeral and, while I would never consider myself a poet as I lack both the skill and the patience, it feels fitting to share it in this season of remembrance, to honour those we have lost but who live on in memory. In the words of Queen Elizabeth II, grief is the price we pay for love and we are so lucky to have had the chance to walk beside them for a short while, although it would never have been long enough.
Requiem
A new day dawns without you,
The sadness lingers on,
But still I won’t forget you,
Or believe you’re truly gone.
I feel you all around me,
In everything I do,
The lessons that you taught me,
Become my gift to you.
The cruelty of your passing,
The suffering you faced,
What you endured; yet still retained
Your humour and your grace.
Nothing is the same now,
The days pass slowly by,
Just know how much I love you,
And that love will never die.
A new day dawns without you,
The pain will slowly fade.
The memory of your smile and laugh,
Right here, in us, will stay.
For Mum
8th January 1949 - 17th April 2014
For Caesar
17th April 1949 - 19th June 2015
For John
28th February 1949 - 19th October 2024
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Sending so much love and gentle healing your way 🤍 Your words are beautiful and captured that dance between grief and love so well. Thank you so much for sharing ✨ xx
A beautifully written poem, such eloquence and emotion. Sending you all our love.x