An Empty Chair

An Empty chair that sat beside her
The TV blaring louder
An unread book and
The inner silence 
That began to blind her.

But this was a woman with memories still
Of legs dangling down behind the van
A brand new city where the family ran
A life of stitches and hems began.

Then came the war and the bombs
And the roar
As Germans tried to take over this shore.

Packed off to the country
Three children were sent
It's safer there
was how the story went.

No love or kindness was found
And soon they returned
London bound
They stayed here as the bombs fell down
And finally victory
And parties all round.

Soon she was sent to the land
To work in the fields for the men
Picking potatoes and hoeing a field
It seemed a long way from stitching a hem.

Interrupted they were by a rabble
Of men
Working beside them
These strange German enemies
Who had tried to override them.

Her heart took a while
For him to catch, a fight and a struggle
And some charm to match
This strange German soon held her hand
And together they put on a wedding band.

There followed three children
A boy then a girl then a baby brand new
Also coloured in blue.

A family complete
Now life really began
As planted in colour her garden grew
And up sprang the seeds of
Her family brand new.

Grand babies appeared almost every year
A house filled with laughter
And unrivalled cheer.

Mountains of cakes
Decorated the plates
Nine smiling faces
Covered in cream
Swarmed at the hem
She had stitched with such care
For her to wear.

Nan, I need help,
Don't worry I'm here
A stitch and a thread
And something was created in red,
In blue, in gold, 
In whatever thread.

Ask her for anything 
And make it she could,
Need her one day
And be there she would.

But time passes quickly
Children grow
A once busy life
Began to slow.

As her soldier began to wither and fade
She fed him with water,
With care and the memories they had made
But from this place he would leave her
And off she would travel to countries
Brand new
And onto the buses
Each day she would go
Hoping to find her World anew.

But time wore her down
And took her by the hand
Come rest here, it said
And there she sat down.

And as each day passed
She gave a memory away
A life lived full,
There was no more room
For them to stay.

With tired eyes 
She rested her head
And then finally
She took to her bed.

She closed her eyes
And with one breath
She left
An empty chair there
No longer beside her
But left there behind her.



For my Nan, 
Kathleen Smith 
19th Feb 1928 - 17th March 2013