Sometimes they don’t come back
And the community
Close knit at best
Comes together.
A friend of a friend
Went to sea
And he never returned
And nor did his mate
And it felt
Like everything
Was closing in.
There’s a statue on the quay,
Man and Boy.
It became a focus
And everyone left tributes.
This town
Has no secrets.
Flames flickered
In the autumn breeze
Under overcast skies.
Floral offerings
Heartfelt outpourings
The town
A shoulder.
And the grief
Never seems to go.
It’s unimaginable.
You can’t even begin.
Souls entrust in each other
That every boat which sales
Carries an extra presence
Acknowledged but never seen.
Because
Sometimes
They don’t come back.
Robert Garnham 