Distance brings a measure  of enchantment

As one begins to count the passing years;

Less time spent on damaging resentment

Fewer calls to shed those weary tears.

The days of yore are ripe for us to probe-

Albums crammed with images abound

while pictures, which are flashed around the globe,

Are there for us, waiting, to be found.

But salient, also, is a well-thumbed book,

A scribbled note, a folded picture card;

A raincoat on a special hook,

Family phrases, churned out by the yard;

The song from nowhere which takes one, unawares

Catchy theme tunes from the distant past;

A hymn that shows a God who really cares-

whose love for us will hold, that’s fast.

The one who’s gone - for some, it is enough;

They are at rest, at peace and  free from pain.

Their life is run, complete, both smooth and rough

They play no part in the Eternal Game.

The souls of the faithful, I believe, rise like a dove

And meet their Saviour face to face

Beyond time and space, not somewhere above,

Eternal life is theirs through God’s good grace.

The agnostic, the doubtful when push comes to shove-

What are they to make of time after death?

Whether we believe or not - “God is Love -

Believe in Christ’s redemption” is what God saith.

Yet, Jesus wept for Lazarus who dies;

And we can also weep when struck with grief.

Our life on earth is real: the soil, the skies

Enchantment intertwines with our belief.

Roger Shakeshaft. December 2023 [Revised]