Billy
The jester’s reflection stares sadly back
Musing life’s pool of piss
The tramp’s face spied in a shop window pane
How has it come to this?
Once vibrant proud shipyards, soul of the Clyde
Slowly crumble to rust
Life ebbing towards his own final tide
When flesh will turn to dust
He’s hoping he has lit a lasting flame
A comedic fire fanned
For kind words, the awards and memories are
Just footprints in the sand
Last Supper, Parkinson, incontinence
Banjo, wellies, John Brown
Now behind all the work we’ve ever loved
Hide the tears of a clown
I give up. Who is Billy?
Always felt like he was one of us - an ordinary bloke. Now he is one of us for sure. Good work
Wonderful and it catches the sadness of whatever you achieve in life, it will end. Billy has had a good innings and I'm sure he would be the first to say so. Made an awful lot of people cry with laughter and still is the one and only Big Yin. My ex in-laws were from Greenock and my father-in-law worked on the Clyde. So I heard about Billy long before he became well known. (Took me a while to understand him!)
Aww, it’s hard watching your idols tread this path. Excellent work, poignant and moving.