Heart Of The Matter
Five Days, Five Nights
Papa Cool
No sign of sadness on your face,
Acceptance of your lot, with grace,
Three score years and ten, you say,
You live to fight another day,
Your faith and courage shining through,
Your gentle eyes the purest blue,
I hold on gently to your hand,
Unspoken words, you understand,
An hour or more we sit and talk,
No tears are shed, we laugh a lot,
And even now, you play the fool,
My dear old friend, my Papa Cool,
It breaks my heart to watch you fade,
An open heart with no façade,
A healer, teacher, spirit, friend,
A font of knowledge, to the end,
A man of wisdom deep inside,
The child within, you fail to hide,
You lived your life in love and light,
A twinkling star shines ever bright,
And so I sit beside your bed,
Happy memories fill your head,
Relay them one by one to me,
You walk the hills, you touch the sea,
Your generous heart now failing fast,
You speak of friends, the present, past,
A braver man I've yet to meet,
Your journey over, now complete,
Your passing made with dignity,
We felt your spirit breaking free,
We shared the joy of your release,
Overwhelmed by love and peace,
Salty tears now free to cry,
For Papa Cool, a sad goodbye,
A father's love bestowed on me,
Five days, five nights,
To set you free.
Linda Harnett, ©17th March, 2007
For William S.S. Carr, a painful loss,
Once met, never forgotten.
Special Thanks to Diane and Forbes, for photo and song, it's so him.
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Five Days, Five Nights
Five Days, Five Nights
