The Jacket
Her most treasured possession
Fraying
Veritably threadbare
Once brown
Now no longer
Original colour faded out
Existing only in memory
As he does now
Grandpops
Her adored Grandpops
Three years since he passed away
His jacket
The one he wore come rain or shine
Became hers
Only hers
And the emotions
Which came with it
She wore it every day
His jacket
Come rain or shine
He somehow feeling closer
Protecting her even now
As he once had
What now?
As the jacket
His jacket
Borrowed from him
On permanent loan
Now worn by her
Gently wears out
She cries
Tears of despair
What now?
No amount of cleaning
Of repairing
Patching up
Can save it
Things wear out
Memories don’t
What now?
A suggestion arrives from afar
Grandpops lives in you
In those treasured times
His words of love
Of humour
His jacket
Your jacket
The symbol
Of all he was
Find an exact replica
Have one made if needs be
Like when it was new
When Grandpops wore it the first time
It’s the remembrance
Deep inside
Your new jacket
Worn
In honour of his jacket
It will still hold the memories
Every single one of them
New jacket
Same old warmth
So she did
And it does
Comforts her
This new jacket
Exactly like before
Worn with love
What of Grandpops old jacket?
Framed, it hangs in her den
She smiles up at it
And dances a happy dance
Just as she did with Grandpops
So many times
Wearing her
His jacket
