Grandad

   
   
I read a text message    
received weeks ago    
by my ex colleague    
   
who never failed to    
remind me about    
things by saying    
   
okay we understand    
you have been around    
before the invention    
of technicolour,    
   
who would get away    
with saying things like    
   
a care home must    
have forgotten to go    
searching in the    
co-operative    
   
to find their    
missing person,    
   
who would say    
   
it's okay Grandad    
you have lived many    
lives before this one,    
   
in her text message    
she personally thanks    
me for teaching her    
all of my wise ways    
   
while working and    
about life in general,    
   
I read back knowing    
i'm slowly becoming    
another number in    
a mass exodus    
   
that perhaps    
there is some    
truth in her    
text font,    
   
Grandad lived    
through many    
lives, maybe    
more than    
they ever    
imagined    
   
as a grey    
jacket lives    
throughout    
too many    
duties    
   
losing count    
as time passes    
through nights    
into early hours    
of mornings,    
   
Grandad    
finally reached    
those pearly    
gates kid    
   
that's the    
thing about    
escaping hell    
   
once your foot    
steps through    
the door you    
never talk    
about it,    
   
you part ways    
taking all the    
good things    
along for    
the ride.