A King among men
Yet a Man of the people,
He strode onto the stage,
Each step a clap of thunder
In beat to the thumping drums
Of his ever-faithful musicians.
All before him trembled
In expectation of the best
That music had to offer,
Never failing to please.
Then, in a flash of lightning
His reign on earth ended.
He was gone like an arrow in flight,
Without pause to hear the final hymn
Or to acknowledge those who wept
Beside his mortal body.
He resumed his rightful place
In the celestial universe
And around his regal stance,
A billion stars converged.
Arrow, our dear, dear Arrow
Became the brightest star in the heavens.
He smiles now, looking down on us
As tho’ to say: “Don’t grieve, dear ones
I will always make music
Beyond the end of time.
Hark the songs of the wind in the trees
And the songs of the birds on the bough.
Listen for me in the rooster’s crow
And in the bleat of the grazing sheep.
I’m here, still here with you,
Making music, evermore.”
Shirley Dias-Spycalla
14th Dec 2010