I saw the smile behind a smile
A face, fully fledged, looking to the future
Though behind the lines there was the pain
Of the waiting, the long, long years of waiting
The baby, the doubt, the recognition
The man half in and out of love
With himself and his connections and you
And now he's dead, gone to meet someone
Somewhere, absent as he was so often
But his absence no longer
Shadows your life and the daughter
Working in Virginia. Now, all the sacrifice
And years of waiting feeding the pigeons
And rescuing the dogs was worth it
Gold washed away the grief and pain
And what came was a wonderful sense
Of relief. So much unhappiness to endure
So long to wait for the moments to elide
Into satisfaction. Now there is time.
Waiting patiently had its rewards.