The Funeral Poem by Liam ó Comáin

From hillside and glen
They came to the Church
Upon the hill.
After the service
They carried the remains
Of their neighbour
To the long black
Hearse outside the
Chapel gates.From
Tens of mourners
Groups of four stepped
Forward to bear the
Coffin as the hearse
Snailed forward along
The dusty roads.

A ritual tracing
Back for generations:
A community coming
Together to pay their
Respects to one whom
They knew and loved;
To one whom they
Schooled with; to one
Whom they toiled with-
Sharing the joys and
The sorrows of the
Yearly seasons. A giant
Of a man whose demise
Created a gap in their lives.