03 October 2013

Caiden




Loss stoops
his parents' backs,
hollows their hearts,
birth and death
on the same day
despite their longing.
Grief's cloud layer
decks their souls,
strength borrowed
until resilience returns.


Written for my niece and her husband. From Patricia's word list about good neighbors over at Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads. I took a different tack to acknowledge the importance of loved ones to rely on when things become too difficult. Words chosen: borrow, return, parents, birth, death, stoop, deck.

16 comments:

  1. A beautiful sunrise or sunset, I can't tell. And a beautiful poem filled with longing.

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  2. birth and death in the same day.... Did your niece loose her baby? Oh, this happened to a friend of my daughters the other day... her Aunt was scheduled for a C-section in two days... and the baby died two days before delivery!

    Stoops really is a perfect word to use here. So is resilience.

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  3. it is def great to have that family to lean on...when i lost my job it was hard and i could not have done it without my fam....of course a birth and death on the same day would be so hard as well...and i would work to make sure that new life did not get overshadowed by the other...

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    Replies
    1. Family gathered around them both literally and, for those of us farther away, figuratively.

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  4. How heartbreaking! I can't even imagine.

    This is beautifully done.

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  5. Mary, this is so sad. Your words paint this image of loss and pain. Thanks for stopping by the list.

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    Replies
    1. It turned out to be helpful for putting this into words. Thanks.

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  6. Well done...and the last line says it all...
    Oh, how sad-yet we must always honor both~

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  7. I hope they gathered strength from the beauty and and love expressed in this poem. What a gift you have. I'm so sorry for their loss.

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    Replies
    1. They've been surrounded by the love of family and friends and they were grateful for the poem.

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