Benediction

Nearly goodbye, without a farewell 

falling into a space too early

to say thank you.


Thank you for the tuneful words of poetry
Michelle Quoist, Roger McGough, Eddie Askew,
Malcolm Guite, Dylan Thomas.

Thank you for the wordful tunes of songs
Ewan McColl, Tom Paxton, Mark Knopfler,
Dylan, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen.

Thank you for the words that spun worlds
Tolkein, CS Lewis, Mary Stewart.

For historical words of intrigue and battle
Ken Follet, CJ Sansom, Bernard Corwall
For the solving of crimes
Ian Rankin, Ann Cleeves, Peter James,
Steven Booth.
For action and adventure
Jack Higgins, Forsyth.

For the places you have taken me
in the span of my life;
for filling quiet moments
with other places,
for the turning of your pages
and the music of your words,

bless you.