CONTEMPLATION ON THE DEATH OF RUTH
How oft in thy bed dids’t thou lie in the night
Not sleeping, but restless, in pain and in fear;
How long did those eyes so full of pure light
Search in the darkness, to see a loved one come near?
Did thy little heart yearn to walk and to play?
Make gardens of flowers, to skip and to run?
To play "Ring a Rose" and play far away
Where the sky touch the meadow, where little streams run,
Did thy little hands long to grow and to strive
To play ball with thy brother and sister each day,
Did each tiny muscle do it's best to improve
As thou sat in thy chair, watching life tick away.
Was the remembrance of Father in heaven so strong,
That when he called thou didn't linger below,
But with joy swept away the fear and the pain,
And, a pure flower returned, untarnished to grow
In gardens celestial, where Gods angels sing,
Glory! Hosanna! ever praise to His name,
And now before sleep bedims my mind I sometimes see
Thy gently curling hair framing thy face so sweet,
Thy blue grey eyes still smiling, thy arms outstretched for love,
And then, cradled in my arms, our joys will be eternally complete.
Ann Margetson April 1967