I said no prayers at my mother's funeral. I sang no hymns.

My Mum died in the spring of 2008 after ten years of very serious and complex illness. She was 65. On the morning that she died, the long, suburban road to the hospital (Hope Hospital, Salford) revealed itself to be lined with cherry blossom trees; they'd bloomed into life that sunny morning. It was beautiful. It felt symbolic and I vowed to myself there and then to remember my Mum every year when the trees are in blossom. In truth, I think about her every day; just...more so... when the trees are smiling. 

I was reading a lot of science books at the time, learning about how all matter is connected; how atoms are constantly re-re-cycled, including those that our bodies are all made of. We ARE made of stars, everything is. A short list of elements combine in different quantities to make ALL things.  Bury us with a tree shoot and our atoms nourish its roots, we bloom from its branches. Life goes on.

For me the poem is a scientific, atheist piece but, such is the territory that science and religion fight over, it could equally interpreted to be about a deity. My brother and his wife are both church ministers. My sister-in-law, Kate, conducted the funeral (beautifully) and a dozen of their minister friends were in attendance to show their support.

Around this time, my reading and watching my Mum's prolonged suffering had cemented my agnosticism into an atheism which dared to speak its name. I spoke its name as part of my introduction to the assembled mourners.  

I said no prayers at my mother's funeral. I sang no hymns. I read a poem.

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Now published at: http://longfella.co.uk/sexandloveandrockandroll.html



 

LIFE GOES ON (For Elaine)

Hi  I'm Tony Walsh - Longfella, a Manchester (UK) based poet, writer and artist in education.  In 2011 I was website poet-in-residence for the world renowned Glastonbury Festival from where my work featured on BBC1, BBCRadio2, BBC6Music and in the rock magazine Q. I have been invited to perform everywhere from The British Library to The Palace of Science and Culture in Warsaw, Poland for The British Council.   From the Royal Shakespeare Company 50th anniversary celebrations to festivals, prisons, schools, colleges, universities, conferences and on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral for OccupyLSX. Further info, all links, sales etc via my website at www.longfella.co.uk. Cheers!

LIFE GOES ON (For Elaine)

Tony Walsh: Longfella