Fistfuls of light
thrown by sombre trees
strike unlikely sentinels –
weathered soft toys,
bleached wooden trains,
threadbare windmill,
scruffy, gentle markers, softening brutal inscriptions.
Dearly missed,
Aged –
16 hours,
two days,
three weeks.
five months.
Kate, Anna, Kyle, Melanie
never progressed to surname
will never require differentiation.
School remains unknown
as does inequality
and betrayal.
Innocence and loss
sway quietly together
grief’s slow waltz
painful and sweet.
When melancholy won
or luck felt picked upon
I came here,
perspective –
grief, what could be more?
Motivation was selfish
balm, my loss lessened by comparison
a form of optimism
the difference between being destitute and
almost destitute
a degree of betterment.
Now, coming to terms has accepted
moving on goes back, often – for them.