Wye
Sunday 4th June 2000, Near Wye in County Kent, England.
I was out walking with Kerstin when, on the last section heading back on the top a ridge through the forest towards Wye along the Acorn walk west of the River Stour, she discovered that the car keys were no longer on her key carabiner clipped to her belt. We went back to where she last knew she had them and retraced our steps again but couldn’t find them. This upset Kerstin quite a bit and she felt that she had confirmed to me that she was disabled and would therefore have lost my friendship. It took some gentle discussion to convince her that nothing in our friendship had changed (Kerstin was a highly functioning autistic person, absolutely brilliant but had some difficulties associated with autism and could not bear being touched by anyone). The inspiration came when I thought of the opening line “The keys lie somewhere in Kent”.
The keys lie somewhere in Kent
Near Wye they couldn’t be found
On the side of a hill ‘bove the river Stour ‘mongst the fern and the beech on the ground
It is a sudden and wrenching reality and the loss makes the heart beat so strong
Your mind can no longer focus, any place else you would rather be found
All around the world seems forlorn, you feel like your sinking as stone, despair reaches out and it lies and it shouts it’s your fault it would say but it’s wrong
So through a monochrome walk without feature the foot steps out without thought
Though the keys lie somewhere in Kent
Twas simply by happenstance wrought
Look up, are the clouds still above
Does the sun still shine in the sky
It’s warmth still gently caresses your skin and it’s light still brings joy to your eye
The birds still sing in the trees and the deer bounds off at your passing
Poppies still bloom forth in scarlet and like a river the wheat flows to Wye
The Stour gurgles on down the valley in it’s pursuit of the sea and ducks still play on it’s waters with trout hiding in the deep ‘mongst the weeds
The rest of the walk lies ahead and the moment of loss lies behind
Though the keys lie somewhere in Kent
The day is still just as kind.
Though the plans of the day are awry
And tomorrow must be planned again
What’s lost is really an illusion for the things of true value remain
His regard is in no sense diminished you are still well esteemed in his eye
No matter what the rest of the day brings the delight of your company is fine
The pleasure to walk in meadows and talk on whatever’s in mind, to discuss the whole of creation and the how’s and the wherefores and why
Or to sit in companionable silence and drink in your nearness like wine
Though the keys lie somewhere in Kent
A friend still walks by your side