Red-haired, silver-tongued, Aunt Flo

This is Scott. He is my first cousin twice removed. This was our first meeting. I taught him how to catch a ball ("keep your eye on the ball!") The big shadow is me.

It was the occasion of Aunt Flo's wake at her son Richard's house. Richard is my cousin and the grandfather of Scott. Aunt Flo died aged 85 two weeks ago and her funeral was today.

While visiting my parents in late January I had met her again after a fifteen year absence. That was a difficult time of my life and I was a long way through writing a big poem about the events surrounding me and the effects they were having. The poem is a diary of sorts called "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. 30 January to 5 Feb 2006. " and was written while it was happening - on those days.

This is from the chapter "Sunday: honesty after the food poisoning", a small part of the poem relates my first meeting with Aunt Flo after so long apart:

"The black and white
on the page
Interrupt the smooth flow
of space and time
and create
voices-—

Longer thoughts slow echoing voices

Auntie Flo in hospital
Dad’s older sister
in her youth I adored her with flaming red hair
and a musical low pitched voice
with silvery tinkling overtones
strong Norfolk schoolmistress accent

Now eighty-five near blind, golden gray with patches still of red
we recognised each other after fifteen years apart
this poem I related the miracle of voices
pushing their own way in
the place of her voice in my childhood still the same

She blushed bright pink and flustered
hands fluttering over her face
and was very pleased

Voices memories heartbroken souls all know
how soon after wakening
the ache returns
meters the pain tells us how far there is to go."

I saw her several times after that but she quickly deteriorated and lost her ability to speak or communicate. Indeed the last time I visited in the Wisbech care home, though out of bed, she did not wake up at all.

This is a picture of her in hospital taken on 11th February - see the red still in her hair.

In memory of Florence Maud Simmons, née Hite, born 8th November 1920, died 29th June 2006.