Afterlife

[Keith]

Edit 1 (Achebe)

There isn't any dark underbelly
or shadow clad evil
waiting to drag us kicking
into the opening roots of a bloody tree.

But sometimes you'll hear your name being called
when you play music too loud and turn it down
to listen for that voice once again.

You'll be asked
to spare some change
by a man outside the supermarket, who smells
of sweet sherry and Sunday roast.

There will always be a shock of grey hair
walking up the hill with her shopping bags
as you drive past
and think for a moment it's her.

This is how they come to haunt us,
to make us remember, how they keep a foot
in our world, the way we hold on.



Original
This is how they come to haunt us,
to make us remember, how they keep a foot
in our world, the way we hold on.

You'll be asked to spare some change
by a man in the supermarket,
who smells of sweet sherry and Sunday roast.

As you kneel in the garden
to tie off daffodils you'll remember that
she showed you how to do it.

You can't avoid that shock of grey hair
walking up the hill with her shopping bags
as you drive past and think for a moment it's her.

There isn't any dark underbelly
or shadow clad evil waiting to drag us kicking
into the opening roots of a bloody tree.

But sometimes you'll hear your name being called
when you play music too loud and turn it down
to listen for that voice once again.