Holly

Holly Suave by Adam Cann

Montage of four photographs in pencil using 2H, 2B, and HB pencils.

The Absent Gift: A Christmas Haunting

In the silence of the winter night,

A father weeps, without a sight

Of his beloved children, far away,

Their laughter gone, his heart astray.

No holly or ivy can ease his pain,

No carol or song can break his chain,

He longs to hold them close and tight,

To feel their love, their warmth and light.

His memories are all that remain,

Of the days they'd sing and dance in the rain,

Of the nights they'd gather by the tree,

With smiles and hugs so full of glee.

Now the shadows loom, the candles fade,

As he sits alone, in an empty glade,

Whispering their names into the dark,

Hoping his love can reach them, like a spark.

For in his heart they still reside,

A flame that burns, and will not subside,

A bond unbroken, through time and space,

A father's love, that none can replace.

Snowflakes and Memories: A Visit to London Road Cemetery in Winter

I'll take it nice and slow.

Each footprint pressed in snow.

I'll think of you,

Think of you,

As I take the long way home.

Miracles

Hope

"Hope, in reality, is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torment of man."

Friedrich Nietzsche    

Lost Children

Lost Children by Adam Cann

The Turners of Kettering

The Parish Church of SS Peter and Paul, Kettering, viewed from Sheep Street. (2017) Photo: Chlo

In Kettering, Northamptonshire, the Turner family thrived for nine generations. The lineage began with the weaver, Edward Turner, born in the late 18th century. The Parish Church of SS Peter and Paul in Kettering holds records of Edward's marriage to Mary Underwood in 1782, marking the first known appearance of the Turners in the town. Their daughter Hannah was baptized there in 1785, but the fate of the girl remains unknown. Edward and Mary went on to have eight more children. The Turner surname lasted until the passing of my grandfather, Terence Walter Turner, in 2000, whose only child was a daughter that later took on a new name.

The Parish Church of SS Peter and Paul, Kettering, viewed from Market Walk. (2017) 

Chapel of Rest, London Road Cemetery, Kettering. Graveyard of SS Peter and Paul. (2017) 

Life Lessons From 100 Year Olds