Joy

In memory of Joy Bevan.

Her eyes were large and grey,

Her voice was soft and low,

Her mind entirely beautiful,

With a gentle inner glow.

Some celebrate great beauty,

Great power, wealth or fame;

I sing for her who had none of these

But was Joy in more than name.

Great were the gifts she gave

And received most gratefully,

More especially now that hindsight

Has given me eyes that can see.

She was my leader and my guide

Through wonderful realms of gold,

And with a kindly, skilful hand

She let those treasures unfold.

She helped me to love the realm itself,

It was so rich with jewels,

And so the journey and not its end

Became my lifelong rule.

The journey on which she set me

Was beyond all place and time,

Deep, powerful, beautiful and sad,

The complex journey of the mind.

So now for one who seemed to live

A life of quiet dedication,

I raise my voice of praise

In sad, posthumous recognition.

And thank her for her example,

Those values deep and fine,

That showed the prize is in the running

And not the finishing line.