Rework of 'A New Year's Funeral' - is it better?

The stumbling fool carries his prayer book

Confident up over the chipped stone step,

Torn pages doling comfort,

Smothering grief as required by His love.

Quoting custom, mumbling winter’s return,

Losing his way among the stones and psalms,

A young things’ modern elegy,

Covers with a veil maddening incompetence,

But he calls right the snow that will chill buried bones,

And cause the church cat to put off its hunting,

Measuring the days in life filled sleep,

Until it’s over.

20 Feb 2012