We mourned this afternoon,
Two minutes silence,
Our wreaths were laid,
Upon one friend of many.
Feeling words were said,
All our fears upon us,
For the one with the heart of gold.
Spades upon the moistened earth,
Formed tears among the crowd.
We gazed at the shadow of the sun,
On his empty place beside us.
Grieving parents, relatives and friends,
Acquaintances, and those just passing through.
An emotional gathering.
The man of God spoke his final words.
“Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”
But the words most sorely missed,
Were the words of happiness and joy,
From our friend,
For whom our wreaths were laid today.

Author's Comments on "For Whom Our Wreaths Were Laid"
Written for the funeral of college friend Tariq Shafi, who failed to return after the Easter break. We later learned that he had died with his brother and two friends in a car accident during the holiday. The mini they were in was found in a ditch several hours after the accident.