One Year Today

Feare no more the heate o’th’Sun,

Nor the furious Winters rages,
Thou thy worldly task has don,
Home art gon, and tane thy wages.
Golden Lads, and Girles all must,
As chimney-Sweepers come to dust.

Feare no more the frowne o’th’Great,
Thou art past the Tirants streake,
Care no more to cloath and eate,
To thee the Reede is as the Oake:
The Scepter, Learning, Physicke must,
All follow this and come to dust.

Feare no more the Lightning flash,
Nor th’all-dreaded Thunderstone.
Feare not Slander, Censure rash,
Thou hast finish’d Joy and mone.
All Lovers young, all Lovers must,
Consigne to thee and come to dust.

No Exorciser harme thee,
Nor no witch-craft charme thee.
Ghost unlaid forbeare thee.
Nothing ill come neere thee.
Quiet consumation have,
And renowned be thy grave.

Wherever you are, Dad, we miss you.*

*A year ago today, I woke up in Australia to the news that my Dad had been found dead in his house here in Ireland. He had a heart attack, his second, and died aged just 54. A few days before I had bought a book of poetry for my girlfriend, and the above poem jumped out at me. I remember saying to myself that it would be a perfect poem to read at a funeral. Five days later, thats’ what I did.

The last time I saw Dad was in October. I bought him lunch in a pub in Dalkey and hugged him goodbye, before getting on a bus to the airport en route back to Sydney. I never saw him again.