Lay Me Doon On A Malvern Hill A poem by Bob Shepherd

When that time comes for my family to say goodbye

It’s up to me where my spirit will lie

Will it be my birthplace of Bonny Dundee?

Or on a distant land by a distant sea?

More than likely a place close to my soul

A place that the Beacons, and Hereford can call

A direct view of both from a beautiful slope

I’ve sat there many a time just gazing in hope

My ashes will be spread on a Malvern Hill

The splendorous views made my heart fill

With thoughts of my family, my comrades, and my friends

That view alone, it’s love that it sends

Looking west towards a great life once had

To places that remind me of both good and bad

But that’s life no matter the place that is chosen

Dry, wet, roasting, or even frozen

Wildlife runs through the tufts of grass

In a place where one day will lie my sorry ass

Or rather the dust of an old Scottish grandad

From the Worcestershire winds, I’ll be blown and dragged

To a place where I’ll settle upon the high ground

My family and friends can walk to where I’m found

They too can sit upon that forward slope

They too can gaze towards the land of hope

For a wee boy from Dundee to live his life free

It’ll be worth the walk along the beautiful Malverns, to come and see me