Poetry e(in)motion, National Poetry Day 2012

Today is National Poetry Day and the theme is Stars.  I am not sure whether these are stars in the sky sense of the word or stars as in people, but I like to think the latter.  I have chosen a personal poem to share which I wrote on the day my Grandad died. 10th June 2009. I read it out at his funeral (still don’t know where the strength came from, but I like to think it was from him).

 

Our Grandad

A man of grace and integrity

The meaning of things he’d help you see

The person we’d aspire to be

Our Grandad

 

For six years he was prisoner of war

Only he knows the horror he saw

A man who always laid down the law

Our Grandad

 

Myra is the lady to whom he stayed true

Born of them one girl, and boys, they had two

Worked hard and did what he had to do

Our Grandad

 

Always picked you up if you should fall

Throughout everything he stood tall

Lots of hard times, he got through them all

Our Grandad

 

You’d see him regularly wearing brown

But he hardly ever wore a frown

Stored his tins of food upside down

Our Grandad

 

A cup of tea was his favourite drink

He’d show you things and make you think

Made a boat of wood that didn’t sink

Our Grandad

 

Imaginary play was one of his best

Greenhouse became shop at our bequest

He always seemed to outdo the rest

Our Grandad

 

A gentleman we will respect forever

A gentleman we won’t forget, not ever

A gentleman whose memories we will treasure

Our Grandad