LOST KIN

Though all born of one blood
The brood long since flown,
Scattered seeds to the wind
Far flung, a distance blown.
Parents, the fragile glue
The constant roof in rough weather,
Their very presence, beating hearts
Faintly keeping the union together.
Our footsteps tread different paths
To inevitable lifes end,
When words go unheard
And the past cannot ever mend.
The mists of memory
Like flaking parchment it fades,
The table is bare, nothing there
Skipping girls, flashing blades.
A distant, uncomfortable call
Paying lip service on the phone,
The fading photos now unseen
Ghosts shut away, all alone.
Cine reels, scratched celluloid
Laughing children, your lost kin,
Running in the garden, bathtub fun
We all still wash the same skin.
They say friends we keep forever
Maybe even a husband or wife,
But, kin are from the same mold
The same blood flows for life.
Empty promises always appear
When the bell tolls for one finally,
Shaking hands, hugs and kisses
Losing touch, lost kin, 'til no family.

Phil Hall December 2014