My Hero's Gone

My hero’s gone

There’s a clearing in the forest
Of people I have known,
A space among the books
And letters from my home.
The night-time sky is darker
The stars seem more forlorn,
And part of who I am today
Has shed its mortal form.

A hat, sun-faded, on it’s peg,
The jacket by the door.
The paint and pencils by the board
As if expecting more.
The grassy yard grows inch on inch
New weeds invade the lawn,
A ringing phone, a barking dog
Unanswered, no-ones home.

When our allotted time is run,
Our ledger closed and signed,
And we move on to who-knows-where
Leaving earthly cares behind,
It’s who we were that counts the most
Not what we’ve spent or won,
And memories like motes of dust
Still linger in the sun.

My hero’s passed away from us
And life is changed for good,
Questions that were never asked,
Comments misunderstood,
Must remain as such till the end of time
Or, maybe there is more,
And once again I’ll have the chance
To knock upon his door.

If this be so, then so it be
If not, then let it go,
For that’s the way of life and death
And I will never know
If he was proud of who I am
And those that I call dear,
But Dad, you were the very best
I just hope that you can hear.