‘A tribute to my lost friend, the wonderful artist Alex Pointer, who chose to illustrate one of my poems, and who has sadly left this realm last year.’
Lost to the secret valley…
Time now is vast, all over for you, leaving so fast
Drifting, twirling, to find a home on the grass
Ground soft beneath your feet, sky above blue
Standing quietly, focus , take in all of the view
This place, this beauty, it’s where your Pan lives
Then a tiny touch from behind, now you draw breath
Not turning, but you can feel his warmth on your nape
Clops, as he moves off jingling, his big toes scrape
A horn blows quiet at first, then strident as he passes
Here now, you’re left far behind, feet in cool grasses
Just staring over this place of which you’ve just read
Wonderful land, where now you lie, with all you need
Before and below, an amazing valley with small stream
Gazing down, seeing this languid water, seems a dream
First step tentative, but you have confidence in this gorge
Over the edge, slipping slightly, yet downward you forge
In grass underfoot, rustles abound, there tiny creatures run
Further down, birds lift to the sky, all gone, one by one
Turn to look back, your face saddens, torn by lost faces
Tears ***** your eyes, remembering husband, heart races
In your mind, children, pictures, paintings, now sadly bygone
A scant breeze kisses, cleaning your cheeks of love forlorn
Here in this valley, a halfway place, memories of your reading
An intense desire to paint pictures of another’s life bleeding
Foot follows foot as you slowly descend into this other’s story
Gazing in wonder at this real scene, know that this is Lordly
Awareness of toes firm in ground, experiencing grass growth
Then near tiny river before you, waiting something you hate
Dark, black, bad, and evil, something affecting your life’s fate
But as you approach, there before you in glory, bright Pan
Brown face, shows both love and sadness, looks to your eyes
Then standing proudly, lifts arm, killing it, watching as it dies
Turns to you, tears on his face, quietly tells of his affection
For you, for your spouse, your family, your life, its perfection
With hands he reaches, your fingers he grips, you feel love
Then you know his warmth, and you stare into the sky above
Pan leads you slowly to the flowing water, there swim fish
Flashing many magical colours, waters stirring, tails swish
Rustles from behind, tell of much life abounding, if unseen
Pan then points downstream towards the sea, land between
You let go his hand, walk then beneath the overhanging trees
Scented flowers assault your nostrils, plants you squeeze
Turn to gaze back, in the distance, you now hear Pan’s trill
That pain, the loss you felt, now lost, river running, ears fill
Clutching branches, feel their roughness, experience their life
Happiness fills your heart, all sadness trimmed by Pan’s knife
No more pain, no sense of loss, for you know all will join you
Husband, family, friends, not lost, just delayed, this be true
Here now, you remember a story you read, one of this very land
How you’d loved, drawn and painted, led by his writing hand
You’d wished for his wisdom to be real, and here you finally are
Free at last to live amongst flowers, existing as if a bright star
This chapter in his story written for you to read, gives solace
Moving forward along the river, you seek your now final place
Bees buzzing, birds flit, over the clear blue water insects fly
Bright yellow daffodils on the grass, iris by water flowing by
Red wild roses climb the trees, rapidly rapping their branches
Vividly coloured damsels whirring, hunting things dancing
All this, and much more, the further you progress towards sea
Slowly, one sight to another, you know sea will set you free
Always pushing forwards, closer, looking to that shining sea
Buds, flowers, fruits, together now appear here, all three
You pluck a fruit you’ve never seen before, of various colours
Tastes so sweet, flavour unknown, stopping by wild flowers
Here momentarily you feel the need to take a long, long rest
Yet suddenly feel that moving would best, as just a guest
Fruit juice drips from your chin, on hitting ground, grows on
Here everything seems so alive, constant death then birth
Seemingly this is the Goddesses halfway house to reality
By the green sea, you somehow know she awaits with vitality
Onward you press, to see a young woman who awaits you
Dressed in silvery blue, stands out, yet is a beautiful view
Saying nothing, she lets you pass, closer you feel a freeze
Temperature continues to drop, made worse by breeze
And then she’s far behind, winter now long far away and gone
Through the still waving branches, there appears another
This woman dressed as spring, has come, wears bright greens
Approaching, she smiles, waves arm, sends warmer scenes
Onwards past, now ahead by the trees, appearing, another
This one dazzling like summer, you pass, she’s like a mother
Smells of love, hope, and forever after, reminds of happy days
Here now the trees branches thin, into sight, red, brown blaze
Closer, another woman, stunning beauty, she now awaits, you
Her arms outstretched, you grasp her hands, leads to sea
Impending final ending, you are led to the one true Goddess
Here her daughter Autumn stops before her beloved mistress
You feel warm, loved, as your life before you, suddenly flashes
This higher power, touches you, behind her the sea crashes
Home you feel, all painful essences revealed, but gone forever
Brightest of purest hope, as here, now you finally surrender
Lift, fly far away, safe from all man’s wrath and harm, now hope
Behind those you love so much, but know be with you soon
And as the sun fades on another day, shining bright you alight
Travel distant stars, ride upon different skies, live with delight
Behind husband mourns and cry’s with family and friends near
But know this, only the bright stars die young, this sadly clear
‘A tribute to my lost friend, the wonderful artist Alex Pointer, who chose to illustrate one of my poems, and who has sadly left this realm last year.’