Christmas cake from a departed soul

When I was a child

Full of gay abandon and wild.

We had some wonderful neighbours

Who made life worth living every moment.

The good Christians that they were

Never failed to attend the Sunday mass.

The buzzword for them, was love

Till date, to me, that is still is a treasure trove.

Vegetarians that we were

For cakes there was a lot of despair.

Every Christmas eve, in a large dish

They made egg-less cakes, to fulfil our wish.

The fact that they were specially made pastry

Made it all the more tasty.

The affection was nothing short of filial

Never did I take as trivial.

Their daughter, "sister" Grace was my senior

And none less than a mentor.

She went on to become a Physician

Though her parents wished she became the Church musician.

Grace then started to face the perfect storm

Pain became the new norm.

Passing away of parents, miscarriage and failed marriage

Life indeed was a huge bondage.

For her, with two sons, life was still in solitude

Though she was never short of fortitude.

Years passed, boys became men

Pillars of support to the lonely woman.

There was an eternal emptiness in her life

It appeared that her sibling's name was "strife".

Christ decided to put an end to her pain

After all,in life she had nothing more to gain.

For all her troubles, He had the perfect answer

And took her life away, in the name of cancer.

The news of death sent waves of shock

At life and death, I could only baulk.

Some people's life certainly remains a mystery

Though, in my mind, Grace will never be history.

On this Christmas day, I think of that family

To them I dedicate this homily.

The good Railway man, his teacher-wife

And "Sister Grace", who was all their life.

O Grace, on yet another Christmas eve

For you, my heart is full of bereave.

Will you bring back those fond memories

And all the mirth and funny stories?

Will you bring back, the childish innocence
That I experienced when I was in your ambience?

Will you bring back the smile on my face

When I see you face to face?

Will you again bake me that egg-less cake

When I meet you in heaven?