Grief’s Shimmering Castle

Death passed by

A quick salute

No time to think

No time to stop

Quit job

And home

And friends

And past

Plan was sound

Kilkenny bound

When grief comes calling

I won’t be home

Too smart

Too quick

Outrun death’s shadow

Found greener pastures

To start anew

Fresh life

Fresh wife

Fresh fields

With a herd of deers

The house was big and bold

And old

And tattered

Not that it mattered

Hundreds of years of ghosts

Good ghosts

Bad ghosts

All kinds of ghosts

And all liked beer

History lived here

Nestled in a forest

It’s ivy walls glistened in the sun

Every inch shimmering green

No shimmering inside

Cold and damp

And old and tired

But memories once

Of grandeur lived

Easy fix

For you

I’ll get a crew

Stripped the ivy

Like a coat removed

And underneath a castle rose

Beautiful and grand

Every chance given

Every dance living

In it’s fancy ballroom

To fiddle some tune

New newspapers

New friends

New home

New hope

For a while

All was grand

And great

Love lived here

A life awaiting

Then grief came calling

And asked his due

Past must be paid

Drink up he said

And handed the bottle

Drink for all

Each day got worse

But grief insisted

Drink up dear boy

Failing and whaling

Stumbling and mumbling

Behind castle walls

Where ghosts would freely call

Grief’s friends are few

He has his tricks

Pay your dues

And then you’re fixed.

Drink up dear boy

That is your due

And then the years rolled  by

And grief moaned and groaned

I’m here for good and ever

Never to leave

Till due is paid

Now all is broken

And mangled

And tangled

For all who dangled

Grief got his due

His toll was taken

Bags packed

Door closed

Memories now

Dark and cold

For good times and bad

Grief took his due

In that shimmering castle