So far away

It’s rare that I feel much in the way of homesickness. The ties that pulled at me when I first left Canada slowly loosened and then let go at some indeterminate moment of my expatdome.

But today, today they drew tight and pulled hard.

I love you grandma, and I’ll never forget the infinite ways in which your caring, kindness and compassion not just touched, but shaped my life and character.

What breezes take away on an early morning wind
What somber whispers say to a down-turned chin
Ever minders are they of all this straw and tin

And so the embers in my hand I will always hold
The smooth bits of sand of which you told
Will stay with this man you helped mould

But I will not mourn nor waste thoughts grieving
Eyes teared and warm, fists clenched and seething
For I loved your life, and not your leaving
For I loved your life, and that’s not leaving

No comments on this one, it’s just for me