Love came first

Love Came First by Donna Ashworth

Contributed by Gordon Smith

I first saw this poem by Donna Ashworth, shared in a Facebook post by Ann Wels. Nothing unusual, or even remarkable, about that in itself but, as with so many things, it was the convergence of time, place and circumstance that compelled me to use it.

I was sitting at my wife’s bedside, in Roxburghe House, Dundee, as she was nearing end of life. The patio door was open, with Janet’s bed moved so that she could see the lovely day outside and feel the warmth of the sun which was streaming into the room. She was asleep as I read it, which is perhaps just as well since, just as I instantly knew I would use it at her funeral, I knew too that there was no way I could read it myself.

It’s not only beautiful, it’s also totally true. No less, one year on.