Now Comes The Dawn

Farewell
     My friend –

As now
     The year’s
          Departing

And our
     Time of
          Separation
Comes
     At last

To a firm
     And final
          Close.

Farewell
     My friend –

It’s been a
     Year
          Of moments,

As our
     Loss
          Has worked

Its ways
     Into
          The
               Deep
                    And shadowed
                         Corners
                              Of our
                                    Lives.

Farewell
     My friend –

As now
     Your parting
          Finds
               Its fullness;

And our loss
     Must
          Turn to
                Life which
                     Lies
                          Ahead –

Farewell
     My friend –

For now
     Your journey
          From us
               To the
                    Nethermost
                         Of distances
                               Beyond –

Must carry on –

You leave us
     Not with
          Loss
               Of life
                     Alone –

But loss
     Of life
          Together,
               And
                    A life
                         Which
                               Cannot be –

A loss
     That’s deep –

But That’s Okay –
     For Now
          We Covet
                For You
                     A Life
                          Beyond
                               The river –

And we
     Would
          Not hold
               You back.

Instead –
     We wish
          You
                Bon voyage –

And
     Setting by
          Our sorrows
               And our
                    Pain,

We step up
     To the task
          Once more
               Which
                    You once
                         Took
                               Yourself –

A task
     Of education
          In a way
               That honors
                    Past
                        And present life –

For we
     Will
          Make
               A future
                    And a hope
                         For all
                              Our children,
                                   As we
                                        Take the
                                             Awesome
                                                  Challenge –

You once
      Spoke
            To friends
                 And
                      Colleagues –

“Build your
     Nest
          In southern
               Comfort
                    If you
                        Wish –

But if you
     Wish to
          Really live,
               And want
                    A deep
                         Rewarding
                              Challenge –

Come
     And live
          Among my
               Family,

And my kinfolk
     Of this bush-land –

And we’ll
     Build a
          New tomorrow –
               On this deep
                    And firm
                           Foundation,

So that
     Life that’s
          Lived in
               Fullness,

Can emerge
     Once more
          From winter times
               To spring.”

Farewell
     My friend –

And thank
     You once again,
          Indeed, for
               Presence
                    In our
                         Midst.

For now
     The grief
          Is eased,

And our
     Tears are
          Somewhat
               Dried,

We grasp at last
     The answer
          To that
               Puzzled
                    Time –

For the
     Hill we
          Climbed
               Together,

And the vision
      You held
           With us,

Is still here
     For us to follow –

And in that
     We still have
          Meaning
               Shared between
                    Us both –

For,
     As your tools
          And chattels
               Have been
                    Shared,
                         With precious
                              Memories –

So too,
     Fragments
          Of your
               Work
                    And vision
                           Here –

Now it’s
     Blended
          In the
               Fabric
                    Of
                         The people
                              Who
                                    Have
                                          Loved
                                               You –

Taking
     Up the life
          You gave
                It –

Mixing it
     With
          Parts
               More relevant
                    To us –

’Till the
      Past
           Fades
                In
                     Our
                          Memories,

And the present
     Life
          Gets jumbled

In a future
     Which
          Knows nothing
               Of our
                    Days –

But they will
     Live their lives
          In fullness
               On foundations
                    We are building,

As our elders
     In the
          Former days
               Built
                    Ours.

Now paths
     Divide –

Good voyage,
     Friend!

Until we
     Meet
          Once
               More

Around
     That
          Evening
               Campfire
                    In the sky –

Our Dawn
     Arrives –

And we
     Must rise
          Once more,

And greet its
     Cheering light;

For with the
     Coming light,

Our life
     Calls out –

And bids us
     Rise to
          Present
               Lives
                   And tasks.

Farewell –
     Indeed,
          Fare-well
              My
                   Friend.

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