Knock, knock. "Grandad, let me come in."
You open the door with a cheery grin.
"See, Grandad, I've bought a book."
"Come for a cuddle and we'll take a look."

Climb onto your bed, cuddle up under your arm,
You read the stories with enchanting charm.
"Oh Grandad, I don't want to go you see,
Please read another story for me."

With both hands you cup my face,
You kiss my cheeks all over the place.
Your moustache tickles, and I wriggle with glee,
"Oh Grandad," I giggle, "let go of me."

Ten years or so pass, and I all but cry,
I hate to see you in a hospital bed lie.
You don't talk very much but I know you're O.K.
As you give me the thumbs up every day.

You hold my hands and feel for my rings,
Glints in your eyes shows your heart sings.
But look, your lips are so chapped and dry,
"Come take a drink, oh Grandad please try."

Dear Grandad, I hope you will understand,
This Maths homework is quite out of hand.
Though not seeing you today fills me sorrow,
I will come again to see you tomorrow.

I feel such a sense of gloom and woe,
But why I should feel this, I don't really know.
At lunchtime, I walk to clear my head,
But I fear, dear Grandad you may be dead.

"Someone has been to school looking for you,
And the Head wants to see you immediately too."
As I wonder why this should be,
The Maths teacher says, "You need to see me."

"Oh no, your homework is done and out the way,
I must see the Head or there'll be hell to pay."
"Wait! Your Dad has been here and he did say,
That from the hospital you must stay away."

"But why? But why?" Aloud I cried.
"I'm sorry to say, your Grandad has died."
"Oh no! No! This can not be,
Your homework wasn't more important than he."

Why didn't I go to see you last night?
Perhaps, you would of put up more of a fight.
I didn't get to say goodbye you see,
And Grandad you didn't say goodbye to me.

At times when I'm so desperately lonely and sad,
I think of you Grandad, and I don't feel so bad.
I think of all the cuddles and stories galore,
Then I don't feel so lonely and sad anymore.

13th September 2003