Death in the Family

Grandma died last week, so we are feeling rather sad
But she wasn't ill for long, and for that we're very glad
She'd had a real good innings so I doubt that she'd be mad
Oh, we've lots of conflicting emotions

My sister's feeling guilty for the last time that she yelled
And my brother's feeling sorry for the trust that he withheld
But Gran was eighty-six: I'm sure she's loving being spelled
Yes, we've lots of conflicting emotions

Mum gets really angry when she thinks of Gran's hard work
How she slaved, and scrimped, and saved, and was never one to shirk
But they always give the Honours to some social monied berk 
I think Mum wants some sort of reparation

And Aunty Vi is bitter 'cause her Mum would never rest
She reckons that's the reason that the cough went to her chest
And she doesn't want to hear 'that it was really for the best'
She wants no part of any consolations

Uncle Tom berates himself because he was away
He reckons if he'd been here she'd be still alive today
But I think that he's just sorry that he never got to say
Goodbye, and make a contribution.

Dad gets sort of wistful when he talks of 'Ma-in-law'
He said he couldn't stand her - 'that opinionated bore'
But they'd argue til the cows came home, and then come back for more
Guess he misses all those confrontations

And Kenny the Great-grandson - I think he's still in shock
One moment he's in tears, and the next he does his block
He asks us when she's coming back, his eyes fixed on the clock
He is riddled with conflicting emotions

And there's other friends and relatives with different loads to bear
Different ways of showing that they truely love and care
But a burden's always lighter if you find someone to share
All your strange and conflicting emotions

And me?  Well, mark me down for all of the above
I've felt anger, guilt and sorrow, and happiness, and love
And I'm glad I've come to realise that death goes hand in glove
With so many conflicting emotions