Missing

They have dispatched your body
Through a trellis gate
To the sound of the light brigade
The audience ensemble
Looked in different directions
Ocasionally meeting eyes
And fumbling
Awkward went the fingers
Tearful the glances
And the running noses
tumbling
poured outside
Into handkerchiefs
Of rare white and dust
and the must have black
showed flecks of flack
on shoulder blade tack
the brush of a pinstripe worn

strange how you notice

the mountain of flowers spelt names
perfecly pinned to stiff wire frame
hidden away revealed
when washing came a rain
And the ring of roses games
Of innocent children
Framed the cycle of life
Quite fittingly oblivious
To flames and the furnace
The heated stack that scratched
An afternoon sky
Cross hatched the stained glass eye
Poured in

and we wondered if he was looking down
and in privacy we asked

ran silent questions
into double measures
shared gin and brandy
cheers
and cherished treasures
veneers can shine
forever yours
forever mine
missing the ones
passed by