My fingers wrap around your wrinkly hands
vision blurred, as my eyes well with tears
my lips touch velvet; your soft brown hair
and I do this ov’ and over again
in the short time that we have
rocking gave us comfort cradling you in my arms
with tears that touched your lips
that now would never speak
another chance I beseech, to gaze into your eyes
that are the colour of the sea; embrace your warmth
against my skin, but this will never be
a mother should not outlive her child
I begged take mine, in place of yours
I laid my hand across your heart
a heart that beat no more
why was life so fleeting, the time we had too brief
you were ripped away from me, I’m left behind to grieve
there are no answers
life we know at times so cruel
how do I go on living – living without you
try to remember me, you were called away too young
there is no rhyme or reason, for why this has been done
time they say the healer; one last hold, one kiss, I beg
so as I hold you to my breast, this torment that I bear
know that I so loved you and this last wish I share
wrapped in cotton white, take your pastel coloured wings
my angel child and fly
and with each breath I’ll think
of you, till my time comes, to die
©JMTacken Sept 2013
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also for http://dversepoets.com/ Open Night # 106
Fictional
J.Tacken 2013
Ramblings From A Mum 
Just soo heartfelt. Brought back my sisters anguish xx
Hello my darling sadly I feel this will tear at hearts, but I have been working on it for the last couple of days..perhaps practicing for my new ‘calling’ …xxx
Perfection.. I welled up.. you are perfect for your new calling and it is time you put a collection out as well…xx
Thank you sweetheart and I hope so – what a beautiful thing to say – perhaps..maybe… xxx
Broke my heart with this one. It only took you two days? Beautiful.
Bec – I think hearts will tear just that little bit with these words, there were a couple of stages when I was teary as I wrote. (yes in-between work sshhh & sleep and day to day). Thank you darling. xx
You will know the words that will bring comfort.
Sad but wonderful words.
Thank you E – for both comments – very complimentary. xx
Thanks so much I am HONEST too. My reader was all messed up I opened and found 50 posts from Daily prompt had to wade through to find you and the others and for that I am thankful
HUGS
Bless ya socks cotton or not 😉 xx
🙂
tears.
i can not imagine losing a child…its one of my greatest fears…
this hits hard…i imagine it was hard to write…
and no there are no rules, bring what you like…
I have not lost a child and I could not imagine the heartache or agony if I did. There were moments I struggled but I had to complete it. Thank you Brian.
popped it in the linky for you
Oh I did too..need to cancel one now – and Thank You
What a poignant write especially that last verse ~ How sad and devastating to lose a child ~
I appreciate you reading Grace – thank you…yes there could be nothing crueler.
this would be perfect for your new path in life, beautiful )
thank you Beth – I now feel the need to write for different circumstances. xx
Dear RM, I found this a very visual poem. The opening stanza is wonderfully visual for me.
The whole poem is so highly emotionally charged as to make an immediate impact on me the humble reader.
Well done for reaching this reader.
Dear SS2- thank you for reading, thank you feeling what I wrote and for your comment- it is pleasing (in a way) that I have succeeded in charging emotions with this piece…or should I say touched the reader.
In a very ‘figurative’ way I should think……but that is our purpose as writers to try and ‘touch’ our reader…I think you are succeeding when you receive comments that suggest your reader has been moved and or understood the emotion within your writing. I think that is what we strive to do, make some sort of emotional contact with our reader. Though I have to admit I am not always successful in that. But that’s why we try again the next day.
yes figuratively – I would not like to think as one of my readers wrote that her breath felt constricted due to what I wrote. Emotions of any kind, even dislike for what they have read is still an emotion (thought we try to discourage that). We forge on daily, through the night- because this is who we are and what we do and I am so grateful that I can move readers to that extent that they tell me in their comments. Onward & upward SS2- and thank you for your kindness 🙂
Mumz..
As you know my mate just lost his Daughter 5 days ago, she never left hospital, she lived only a few days.
http://prayingforoneday.wordpress.com/2013/07/20/just-found-out-my-mate-and-partner-lost-their-newly-born-daughter/
Just 4 days ago this blog.. x
Reading this blog brought that day back.
I will save this and show my mate it one day, when he is ready..x
Beautiful but emotional..
x
Yes I know , I did read – perhaps that was in the back of my mind when I wrote this. I’m sorry if I brought back painful memories thank you Shaun x
Not at all Mumz..x
I smiled reading it..although very sad..
The kid is in no pain right?
She fought hard, My mate and his partner were here earlier (Late last night) with their 2 kids both under 10. They seemed ok. Grady’s partner had a cry, but Dawn took care..Having kids makes us all smile, even when things are hard. So they help…
Great poem..x
i think losing a child is unbelievably tough… a colleague at work lost his daughter a few years ago and it’s even tough to find some words of comfort then – how can anyone comfort in such a situation..
Words of comfort may only mean the gesture of saying ‘cry’..cry in front of me and let me hold you till you cry no more. I am sorry about your colleague and the loss of his daughter Claudia- thank you for reading.
Hello lovely, look at me catching up finally, and omg! my heart raced, my breath felt a tad restricted. I imagined. I felt, I remembered. I thought of life and death and yes! even the afterlife. I thought of you, lots. It is so tough to compose and yet you made me feel so much. Made me want to hug my babies a little tighter. I am continuously amazed… write! feel! write some more.
xxxx
You have run the gauntlet of emotions it seems, this as a writer humbles me that words can do so much. You are always supportive and extremely complimentary and for that I thank you. I am so happy to see you back in the fold and yes I shall write…feeel…write. Thank you angel xxx
This was really intense my sweet. I had not glanced at this as I normally do the minute I received it. My reaction was fantastic as a result because I didn’t know what to expect. Thank you lovely… happy to be back, even if for a brief half hour. I needed to catch up with your writing. I have missed you much.
xx
I am smiling here at your words and your hug {hugs} back- I have missed you also. xx
Raw emotions… Intense and heart wrenching… great job… 🙂
Thank you muchly HA
True, no one should outlive a child. The grief is too deep for words, cutting so deep that one can no longer think, understand, breathe, know how to go on living. Written beautifully.
Welcome Gay and thank you so much for reading and your comment on this piece. How parents or a mother would be bale to cope is beyond anything that could be written. Appreciate you visiting.
Poignant and wonderfully done, Jen!
Thank you honey x
This is so heart-breaking. As I age I can’t help but think of all the losses we face later in life. But I can’t begin to imagine the pain of losing a child. You have expressed it so well. I was a hospice nurse and have found there is much healing to be had in writing about it and other art forms. Bless you.
Welcome Victoria and thank you so much for reading and taking the time to comment. Writing brings me so much joy, though there is pain in the words. Cleansing, releasing, I am so fortunate to be able to express my thoughts & feelings. Losing a child or anyone that we love – the most painful of emotions. I appreciate your visit.
You Bring Tears to Stone Eyes
If there be tears .. there can be no stone
thank you for reading
You write about the unimaginable here. To lose a child is the most devastating of losses that I can imagine. Heartbreaking poem.
Pamela
Pam welcome and thank you for reading and your comment. Sadly yes, something that no mother or parent would wish to experience. I appreciate your visit.