The main pillar, the acting human glue
Keeping together a family torn apart by grief
His remaining child in her room
The mother sweeping unseen issues with her broom
Until he takes it away, tells her to rest
He sat on his son's bed sometimes
Wondering if he should have tried to stop him from going
Who would have known?
How could he have known?
The phone call he got telling him the bodies were arriving
By train
He stood amidst the masses of parents
Screaming their boys' names
His wife called out as she opened the first bag
He looked peaceful
But dead
The father never raised his head again
They said he was too bowed with grief;
He died of a broken heart.
