He holds his head toward the sun,

standing on the hill where he waves goodbye

to those of heart.

Things cannot be the same again, this

they all know too well for words.

Friendships strained but never broken;

they could never be disclosed away forever.

So he walks with head bowed without

a tear, though he knows he has broken

inside to do so.

They can manage without him; they

are strong enough to and shall

persevere in whatever they do: they are

too strong to break.

So climb on up to Solsbury Hill he goes,

where the Wise Man holds an arm

out to greet him.

"Son," he says, "grab your things, I've

come to take you home."

And so the man doth go: over Solsbury Hill,

where his new life awaits him and Home

reaches out with welcoming arms to draw him in.


Author's note:

This poem is based off the song, "Solsbury Hill" by Peter Gabriel in 1977. He wrote it after a spiritual experience atop Solsbury Hill in Somerset, and he wrote it after his departure from Genesis. The song was his debut single and was a Top 20 hit in the UK. The song has often been used in film trailers on romantic comedies.

Gabriel said about the meaning of the song, "It's about being prepared to lose what you have for what you might get...It's about letting go."

Tony Banks acknowledges that the song reflects Gabriel's decision to break ties with Genesis, but it can also be applied in a broader sense.

I didn't actually know that Peter Gabriel had said that about the song, but I knew that he had written it based on his departure from genesis, and his decision to leave. I especially get that sense in the lines, "To keep in silence I resigned; my friends would think I was a nut!," and, "So I went from day to day, though my life was in a rut. Till I thought of what I'd say, and which connection I should cut."

This poem was simply written to reflect Gabriel's inner emotions at the time he left the band. The line, ""Son," he says, "grab your things, I've come to take you home.," is from the actual song.

The people who, "can manage without him," and are: "too strong to break," are Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks and Steve Hackett, who remained a foursome 'till Hackett's own departure in 1977, the year "Solsbury Hill" was released.

I hope you all enjoyed this brief poem.

Many kind regards to all of you who read and like my work. You are each a wonderful inspiration to us all in the world.

~ Richard.