shortlisted
I’ve heard the joy of generations of weddings and the pain of too many funerals in my halls I carry the burdens of two World Wars I survived rage and anger of the reformation Yet after all this I endure, stubborn, standing strong The heart of Grantham is where I reside Lying at my feet are the graves of young and old Tombstones aged with yellow tears of time Whose names have faded into nothingness by a millennium of wind, rain and ice My closest friend the yew tree A symbol for life and rebirth With boughs open as if in welcome With leaves offering shelter all year round Sadly, as time goes on Many no longer seek solace within my walls And I am getting lonelier Like the aging relative forlorn who’s only remembered twice each year On Christmas and Easter But for the faithful few I still stand strong In sadness and in joy To share their lives as I could yours I am Grantham’s heart of stone Joseph Murphy (12)
63