Friday, January 21, 2011

In Memoriam

My Dear Mother
Muriel Reid Smith
June 28, 1922 - December 29, 2010

All is well
Death is nothing at all
I have only slipped away into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other
That we are still
Call me by my old familiar name
Speak to me in the easy way you always used
Put no difference into your tone
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed
At the little jokes we always enjoyed together
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was
Let it be spoken without effort
Without the ghost of a shadow in it
Life means all that it ever meant
It is the same as it ever was
There is absolute unbroken continuity
What is death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind
Because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you for an interval
Somewhere very near
Just around the corner
All is well.
Nothing is past; nothing is lost
One brief moment and all will be as it was before
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!


Canon Henry Scott-Holland, 1847-1918, Canon of St Paul's Cathedral









2 comments:

  1. Dearest Janet-
    I am sorry to hear of the passing of your Mother. What a beautiful tribute to her.

    My Best-
    Leslie

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  2. Janet,

    I have been thinking of you and hope you are doing well. This is a beautiful poem and expresses so well the reality that our loved ones are near, just departed from us for awhile until we meet again on the other side. I also LOVE the photos posted on the website with your mom's obituary.

    Mandy

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