Benny's Grieving Poem by Bryan Sefton

The friends, relations and neighbours have gone
With murmured condolences drifted away
Saying 'how sad' and 'a shame and 'ah well
The Sun's out it could be another fine day'
But poor Benny is shook to the core of his being
As he stands by the graveside and tries to obtain
By process of logic and biblical teachings
The belief that they'll meet on some celestial plain
'It's hard Betty' he murmurs to the freshly turned earth
'What am I to do, love? What am I to do?
How am I supposed to survive?
I wont, it's a fact love, I won't without you'
As he kneels by the graveside and touches the earth
The way he would fondly caress his wife's hair
He tells her 'sleep softly Betty. Sleep softly dear'

She was kind and good
The kind of good that takes on another's hurt
Soothes pain, bathes wounds, caresses
And oh Betty I've got a pain that won't go away
An ache that weighs upon me, depresses
What am I going to do?
I'm hurting and I need you

He walks amongst the tombstones, the regiments of dead reminders
And his mind is in the past, running again with Betty
And she, eighteen, full of spring, soft and white like a daisy
Saying 'tell me you love me Benny. Just once more, tell me you love me Benny'
And the old man cries in a young man's voice 'yes, I love you Betty! '
As she disappears over the rim of a hill, shouting 'Come and catch me Benny! '
All the pain in his heart cries out 'Oh Betty! If only I could! '