The Passing of a Sister

The Passing of a Sister

Annette Canning Mc Garrigle

We held your hand and talked of places you had lived

Lifford, Dongloe, Burtonport and Raphoe

And Strabane when you needed family around

 

We gave you sips of your favourite tipple:

Diet coke straight from the bottle

The Passing of a Sister

We held your hand and talked of places you had lived

Lifford, Dongloe, Burtonport and Raphoe

And Strabane when you needed family around

 

We gave you sips of your favourite tipple:

Diet coke straight from the bottle

 

We walked with you down memory lane

Donegal your favourite place in the whole wide world

Gave you a virtual tour of your childhood fun

Talked of old boyfriends

Dances in the Butt Hall and Borderland Muff

 

Laughed about the clothes you locked in Granda’s old case

You didn’t know we picked the lock

Wore your best dresses to the Pallidum, the Mecca, Ballrooms of Romance

 

Remembered your friend Aileen Dowling from home

Master Brady at Murlog School

‘Tiddles’ he called you

A term of endearment you remembered fondly

 

Memories of your little dog Santo

You found him downtown, brought him home

To Melly’s Flats on Melmount Road

 

We talked about your favourite things:

Cream cakes – despite the diabetes

A packet of fags from Lifford

You knew when we bluffed and bought them this side of the border

Joe Dolan’s songs on Highland Radio

Going shopping on Bus Eireann to McElhinneys

In Ballybofey –coming home with all your money spent

We talked of daughter Carmen and your five lovely grandchildren

 

You lay, in a twilight world we could not enter

Hours stretched into days. We watched.  Waited

Hope flared only to floundered

You slipped further from us

We grew silent, faced the inevitable

 

Remembering your devotion to Our Blessed Lady

Siblings and family prayed the Rosary together

Wracked between emotions of grief and relieve

We watched anxiety leaves your face

 

As peace descended on your brow

We blessed you with holy water

Death entered softly, stilled your last breath

You were gone from this world; your suffering at an end

We wished you God speed, your Creator to meet

Gemma Hill Nov 2017