Hello Folks,
And Now He's Gone was written a short time after the death of my father. He died on Valentines Day on the weekend of my son's first birthday. It was a time of mixed emotion for my whole family. My Dad had been in the hospital for a week beforehand, in and out of a coma. All our relatives visited him during that time knowing it was "Good-bye." Still full of emotion, I wrote this poem. And Now He's Gone I feel the shadows in this house There was once a presence here It is, and may remain a permanent scent For over thirty years my father lived here And now he's gone His clothes in the dresser folded just so My Mother placed neatly, in loving expectation I recall occasions, weekends, and visitations Photos on the wall with his grand style And now he's gone Not all the crying, praying, and shouting Cursing, wailing, or bawling can change a thing The scent is there from years of wear His spirit lies in the memories of our lives And now he's gone In the little hours, when the creaking walls are heard And the half dreaming beckons to might have beens The wishing dies away in tears of parting Loves heavy heart remembers sorrows and joy And now he's gone Jack T. Leyton 1987 The house was where my brothers and I were raised and was full of the spirits of our family. It was sold after our Mother's passing, but I still drive by sometimes. As Thomas Wolfe said, "You can't go home again." As in most families, the memories stay rich and compelling. And now they're gone. Cheers, Jack 🖖✌️
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AuthorJack T. Leyton Archives
June 2021
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