Honey's Lament
By jeand
- 3575 reads
She is dying, my cousin
Not long now to live
There's nought they can do
No hope they can give.
She was pretty, my cousin
When we were both young
Blond and so clever
Her praises were sung.
She was married, my cousin
But soon went away.
Canada was thought safer
Vietnam if they stayed.
Had a baby girl, my cousin
Adopted a son
Seemed to be happy
But she then craved fun.
She sings well, my cousin
A lovely deep voice
She dressed like a squaw
Indian songs, her choice.
Got a new man, my cousin
Played bass in the band
Her husband stayed put
Shared children and land.
O'er the Rainbow she sang
At her dad's last do
Happy Birthday to him.
For shame, said a few.
She cared for her mother
By making some soup
And stocking the rest of it
For the nursing home group.
She's dying, my cousin
She asked me to write
I don't know her well
Can't shed any light
Can't make her feel better
Can't help her to cope
Can't make up for years
Can't give her some hope.
I listened to her song
“Say it now”, it said
So I've said it now
Hope she will have read
She is dying, my cousin
Wish I'd tried a bit
To know her better
The last chapter's writ.
http://www.reverbnation.com/honeyhill
Here are some of the lyrics from her original song, Say it Now
If you want to tell someone you love them, Say it now, say it now.
You want to tell them that you're thinking of them, say it now
Cuz life goes by in the blink of an eye – You know what I mean
No time like the present, to tell them how you feel.
Want to give somebody flowers, do it now, do it now
Cuz life goes by in a matter of hours, do it now
When you're giving to the living, you get back what you gave
If you wait too late you might have to put them on their grave.
Anything you want to say or do or be, Do it now.
- Log in to post comments
Comments
A heartbreaker. You give us
A heartbreaker. You give us an insight into a life lived to the full, lovely song too.
- Log in to post comments
What a wonderful story! I
What a wonderful story! I suppose, even if we don't realise it at the time, the main impetus to write is to mark lives lived, a celebration of the way we live and have lived, the strange thing it is to be human and mortal.
- Log in to post comments
I really like your poem, Jean
I really like your poem, Jean. And the words of her song are so moving and wise.
Tears.
- Log in to post comments
Love the repetition Jean.
Love the repetition Jean. Written with lots of regret and sadness , beautifully echoed by the words of her own song.
Lindy
- Log in to post comments
I'm just listening to her now
I'm just listening to her now. Her voice is beauty.
- Log in to post comments
It is sad when we – gets more
It is sad when we – gets more frequent as we get older – know people we knew a while ago are soon to die, and there's little opportunity for getting to know them more and encouraging them, except to put their trust in Christ for any times of illnes and the crossing of the river and the hereafter. At least he can see their need, as we pray blind. Her song seemed to touch on the brevity of life, but it still seems to take us all by surprise the older we get. It sounds as if she wanted to renew contact anyway. sympathies, Rhiannon
- Log in to post comments