I gave then Elgar\'s Nimrod
As they bore the coffin in.
Children and grandchildren
And other next of kin
Filled the first two rows
To music Ethel chose.
The vicar read a tribute
To Ethel\'s humble life;
She\'d had her times of happiness,
She\'d known her share of strife.
She\'d always done her best,
And now she was at rest.
Working as a landgirl
She\'d helped to keep us fed
When Hitler tried to starve us
And cut off our daily bread.
She\'d found her other half
In childhood sweetheart Ralph.
Devoted wife and mother
Always putting family first;
Ever optimistic
Never fearing the worst.
She had battled on
Until her strength was gone.
I felt I\'d got to know her
By the time the service ended
I later heard that at the grave
Something unintended;
As they moved the flowers
The plaque read Edward Towers!
Of the drama that unfolded
I was wholly unaware
As I reached the final cadence
Of The Londonderry Air;
Music she\'d held dear
She\'d not been there to hear!
(The names used in this poem are fictitious)