Funeral Colours

The choir sang for me
Even though I don't think they're supposed to,
And I begged them to put away their hymn books
They just touched my fingertips
Ice cold, a blue and purple
Bruise in place of each nail
No one said a word,
Lest I be blown away like dust
And Jesus was on the television
In their tea room.

The Holy Man would not be thanked
Said God was all he needed
I thought he was lying but
Could not bring myself to disagree
Just kept still, obedience came easily
We lit candles to keep warm and
Sat round talking for hours -
I was content to just listen. I wanted a cigarette but
Not in front of my mother
"Those things'll kill you" she always said.

It grew dark, the church filled with shadows,
I wondered if God sometimes got scared
My friends lit up, glowing embers in the graveyard
The choir had long gone, such sweet kids
Still on the right path at their age.
Everybody followed nobody and ended up at my house,
I saw my uncle drinking whiskey from a teacup and
Thought it odd - he's such a sensible man
My mother made my favourite sandwich then cried,
I guess she knew I wouldn't eat it.