Winter Pathway

Winter Pathway

Winter had arrived there was frost on the ground,

There was, what seemed like ice around her heart,

He sat staring out of the window looking at the trees,

All the different branches going out from the trunk,

He was thinking about his family.

A cold draught of wind penetrated his body and he shivered,

But still he did not move, just sat and stared, at the great outdoors.

Tears flowed down her cheeks as she watched from behind,

When she faced him she was dry eyed trying to be strong,

Knowing that one day soon she was going to be alone,

Just alone with memories expecting him to walk around the corner of a room,

It was what he always did when they went to certain places,

They were always together, family that is what he said family was the trunk.

Branches then went out to make their way forward in the world,

He rolled the wheels back on his wheelchair, and closed the door,

She found him peacefully staring into space,

Where was he now out there with the trees and animals he loved so much?

He would be missed but she sat held his hand, kissed him one last time and picked up her phone.

Two months later she and her best friend stood on the path the pathway he had shown her,

They stood watching for signs of animals, but everything was quiet, so still,

She took a bag out of her pack and then with tears streaming down her face dropped ashes onto the pathway,

That pathway where they had found so much strength in and for each other.

Now the ashes were being blown about in the wind suddenly it was cold,

She looked up and two squirrels sat on a branch, she burst into tears,

Her grieving had begun; winter was going to be a long cold place this year

©Fred West 2011