He appears
Near my side
I feel his presence, softly . . .

The wind beats
Against the shutters
I feel the coldness creeping in . . .

Light footsteps
Coming down the stairs . . .

The unravelling of curtains
Scratching of hooks
A row of old and dusty books . . .

A tender feeling inside
As an unsteady hand shakes . . .

Squeaking hinges
On the gate
Long since oiled
Awaiting his return . . .

A pounding heartbeat
So fierce and full
Sends butterflies to your tummy
And makes your knees shake like a drill . . .

Whispered words
Drift through the night . . .

Candlelight flickering
In the slowly vanishing light . . .

A heartbeat
No longer beats as one
Joining as two as the years go by.
These hearts will beat still
Forever entwined . . .

Until the end of time
Just you and I . . .

---

Grandpa

You're like a shining star,
In the cold, dark night by far.

You lead me,
You guide me,
You make everything seem so right.

You take my hand in yours,
Lead me onto the path of light,
Make me understand the reason for my plight,
And the true virtue that is in life.

Every day of my life,
From when I was no bigger than a shoe,
I praised the Lord and thanked him,
For giving me a grandparent,
As special as you.

You taught me how to read,
How to cry and how to smile,
How to realise that life was so worthwhile.

Even though you are gone,
And are no longer by my side,
The emotions from your sudden passing,
I find very hard to hide.

My feelings and emotions,
Are all in such a jumble,
As the only thing I can think of is you.

But one thing that is true,
Is that I'm very grateful I had you,
I'm thankful that we shared,
The special moments we had,
The games we played,
And even the fights we had!

Though you have left me,
And gone far, far away,
You will always be here,
For in my heart you are to stay.

Because to me,
My beloved grandpa,
You are,
And always will be,
So very very dear.