Death Of A Friend - Allan Poem by Paul Warren

Straight, true and always keen of eye
You would notice him as he walked by
Best at football, cricket and the tennis game
We grew up together and he had local fame
Playing football he received a knock in the head
This meant X-rays and so to the hospital he tread

On checking the X-rays there was a worrying sign
Abnormalities that showed he wasn’t at all fine
His diagnosis was grave for Hodgkin’s disease
This news for the family didn’t put them at ease
What this meant for him was chemo and radiation
But when this was over there was no resulting elation

I remember when he died at 18 far too young
To the funeral thinking of old times that were fun
How can you feel when death stares at you first
You look around and feel your heart will just burst
When death meets one so young it is hard to reconcile
It’s been forty years since that day and it still is so vile.

© Paul Warren Poetry