The family was gathered and
We all stood around his dying bed
And I looked through tears
At that great white head;
Many years too soon for him to go
But no cabbage existence for Dad
This I now truly know.
So I stood there thinking its maybe kind
Having this bit of time to share our minds,
And I thought of all those times we'd had
Most of them good, a few of them bad,
And I thought of the village
We'd called home
And the lands around
Where we'd freely roamed.
And we walked Lambwath fields,
And with a bit of luck
Together we'd find and bag
One last big old Mallard duck,
For I know when he's gone
I'll never any more
Feel the kick of a shot
From the old twelve bore.
So we thought together
To his very last breath
As I watched him slide
Into his quiet death;
I think of him still
After all these years
And now and again shed
More than a few healing tears.