Kitty

The red door
It was old and worn
The Holy Trinity Church me thinks
Lower Beeding
Where’s this leading
It’s magical
It’s in the ranks of Poe perhaps
Or even Stoker
A family name upon the door
140 years before

Go to the side door
Along the ramp
Knock twice
And you will be heard
That is when we met Dear Kitty
A violinist with a word

She ushered us in
She had been preparing
For a children’s concert
The next day
I told her my dad he was born here
And out of respect I came today

She told me that a parishioner died
Recently his name was too
Thomas Tyler my dads name
I couldn’t believe it but it was true

My dad died in April of 1978
But this man died
Just a few months before
The lady’s name was Kitty
We reminisced a bitty
Then said goodbye
Both absolutely sure

‘Twas magical ‘Twas mystical
A cold sweat as we left the place
A blackbird came to wish us speed
His coat of ebony
He sat atop an old gravestone
He left us with a flap around
Still very wild and free.