A different ending to ‘Home Too Late’

The son stormed out, he’d plenty of places to go,
But the pain in his heart was crushing him so,
Should he stop, turn back wait to see if the door
Would open and he’d see his dad’s face once more?

His guilt turned to anger and hate shot into his heart,
If that’s what dad wanted, that’s how they would part.
The father held the door knob, anger he could not hide,
He could not welcome him home, he had his own pride,

A moment he stopped wanted to call, knew that was right,
But he just watched his son walk slowly, sadly out of sight.
A moment of healing was over, scars again gaped wide,
Never again would father and son walk side by side.

Father grew old and sick, needed someone to really care,
There was no one round about, no one for him to be there,
By next of kin he wrote, none, with a tear in his old eye
A few weeks later all by himself in hospital he did die.

There was no notice in the paper, how could the son know,
That his father had died and maybe his respects go to show,
He saw a notice for the relatives of, there his father’s name,
No, not even the inheritance would he deem to stoop to claim.

(Millicent) Ann Margetson 17 June 2004
2004/3935/ending