'Dancing'

Another poem from the entries for the Senior Poetry Prize, this time by Nyla Jamieson. Nyla read this out as the first poem at this year's Voices of Poetry.

Dancing

The ashes danced in the wind

Teasing the grass below

The earth stretched out its short green arms

But the ashes flew just out of their reach.

Tears fell but the ashes soared

Oblivious to the pain they caused

Prayers were said and hymns were sung

The ashes pirouetted to this bitter sweet symphony.

Finally the dancers grew weary

They settled into the earth’s warm embrace.

As the mourners shuffled away they said they would miss her

But she was already gone.

The ashes may have been a part of her

But what made her her was well gone

While her ashes flitted in the breeze

Her soul had fled to that unknown place.

Years later her family still came

And shed a tear or two

Not even her ashes remained to see this grief

They were off touring the world.

This love was not for them to see

This grave was not for her

Graves, funerals and mourning are for the living

The dead dance on, indifferent.