Sweet William

The flower of the gods
           born into the palm
of my hand
           today stripped
of your beard
           prostrate
searching for
           the sense of it all

on that day
           the world changed
with your smile
           with your laughter
with the light
           in your eyes
bearded flower
           of the gods
those gods
           that walk among us
that breathe our air
           and feed on our food

on that day
           colours came
reds and blues and pink
           and greens and yellows
on the edges of the fields
           in the scrubland
where wormword grew
           on that day
you smelt of birth
           and thrashed
your tiny limbs
           and in my hands
I felt the warmth
           of your innocence
and loved you
           as I do today

John Lyons