Eulogy

Eulogy

There are some men who should have mountains
To bear their names through time
Grave markers
Are not high enough or green (Leonard Norman Cohen)

My Father was such a man
Who else could manufacture laughter
And weave pure joy
From mist, from smoke, from pain
From tears, from absolutely nothing

But then
My Father had the strongest arm and heart
Of any man I have ever known
He was sensitive, compassionate
Practical and brave

All those who ever met with him
Acknowledged these characteristics
 
But neither they nor anyone here today
Are aware that my Father
Once gave my new shoes from off my feet
To Kevin Brett
When I was only eight years old
Because he had nothing on his feet at all

It has since taken me thirty years or more
To come to terms and understand his motives

But that was my Dad you see
He always got things done
Quickly and squarely
In a fair and uncomplicated manner
So don’t expect these words to be perfect
Or to fill the page of your own individual broken heart
Nor to interrupt your mourning

These are my words which reflect my thoughts
And although you are welcome to share them
For a moment in time
They are nothing more than that
And you must arrive at your own conclusions
If you have not done so already

Most importantly these words do not come close
To adequately represent
The very pulse of life and love my Father had for life itself
That many of us here I know
Have invariably felt and seen

And now more than anything else
I am truly envious of God
Because I know that should he ever need a friend
Or a problem solving

A boat building
Or a motorbike maintaining
And countless other things besides
Then he no longer has very far to look at all

And since we are now each left
With individual memories of him
I find myself at every opportunity trying to remember special things like when

He took me to the very top of ‘Chimney Rock’ on his shoulders
And showed me that secret place
Where he once carved my mothers name many years before

I also remember him lifting a JAP outboard engine
From the bottom of a riverbed and raising it above his head
Like Bobby Moore held the world cup in 1966 in triumph
And so many other things

In conclusion then
As far as I am concerned
My Dad has gone on a scouting trip
To check if the other side
Is all that its cracked up to be

And so dear friend
If we don’t hear from him for a while
We shall know that it’s okay

Don’t worry about the three bells when you arrive Dad
I know you are in safe hands

Peace Now & Love Always N x