He's not there

We gathered round the coffin
Everything was so still
Dared we touch or kiss his face?
Could we see: was he in there still?
I drew back the lace surrounding him
Touched his hair, touched his forehead
Touched his cheek but
All was cold and lifeless: waxen
My Tim was gone: no longer there
His earthly body: icy cold: not him
His features: no longer those I knew
No longer those I had loved
No smile there to greet us
No love showing upon his face
Eyes closed to us all: his family
We cried again to see him thus
Our tears flowing freely
We hugged each other close
There was no other way
To get through this sadness
To rise above our broken hearts
For the spirit of life was gone up
That empty shell: left behind
Unrecognisable in our pain

"He's not there!" We whispered
"He's not there anymore!"
He's gone out of his body
He's gone to meet his maker
Our husband, father, father-in-law!

Written on 16 March 2014
For Thursday 13 March 2014