I wanted to ring you

I wanted to ring you last night

I wanted to tell of the journey to the valleys

The twists, the turns, the suddenly closed roads

No map reader like me in the car

To tell of meeting with Jo and Sian

The meal with the family - the jokes - the kindness  -  the laughter

Owain was with us, when was the last time we saw him?

The confusion of how to find the layby up at  carn-y-bugail,

The arrangements we made

Then the breakfast when Jane and Andy arrived

 The drive across the valleys, again a closed road -

All to meet at the new high school in Bargoed

The ride up over the mountain gate, all the ponies,

Many more than I remembered that there used to be.  

The lambs and their mams gently wandering over the road,

Then the red kites, two over the mountain - how good is that

We found the layby; the wind was cold and strong.

I got your ashes from the car - in 4 neat bottles,

Keith, Paul, Jane and Samuel took one – Paul locked his tight and wal undid it

We said a prayer and they carried the ashes over the road and

They scattered  in the sharp wind that came from behind us.

The ponies came to watch

The skylarks sang in the high cold air

And the sun came through the clouds

We had a picture taken, we said a parting prayer

We hugged and promised to meet again

And then the cars scattered in different ways

We went north, up past the Taff reservoirs to Brecon

Paul overtook us on the road to Builth

And we drove up the march till at last we came home

into our valley,  so like and yet so different from yours

Then I wanted to ring you and tell you of our weekend