Elegy

For Joyce, 1932 - 1942

On this stone

a name and date

chiseled with finality

On this stone

the saddest fate

a harsh, bitter banality

On this stone 

are weathered scars

the first, her mother's tears

On this stone

the proof she's ours

gone these many years

On this stone

a soul unknown

gives blooms of honey gold

On this stone

all sorrow sown

a child's story told

Author's Note

My father had a sister who died when she was 9 years old; she's buried in a church cemetery near my home. Last spring, I went to the grave as I occasionally do, and saw a yellow flower placed there. A few months ago, I was there for a funeral, and saw another flower there. No other family members who know of her live nearby. No one seems to know who is placing flowers on this child's grave. And so, this poem...

Reviews

[realmwriter]

I have recently had to suffer the loss of a child before she was even born and this poem made me think of her. Yes, it brought tears to my eyes. The grief a parent feels for the loss of a child is something no one should have to feel, yet we do.

We have had a memorial service for our daughter since she was stillborn on Valentines Day and I mourned her loss. But I will never get over loosing her. She was to be a twin and I truly believe she allowed herself to pass so that her sister could survive. I write this even now, with tears streaming down my face, not to make you feel sad or remorseful in any way but to say thank you for this poem. Even though it wasn't written for my little girl, I take solace and comfort from its words.
Thank you. The tears are not for me, they are for her sister whom cannot, as yet, shed them on her own.

[Rita L. Sev]

Realmwriter, I am truly sorry for your profound loss. I am so glad that my words were able to bring you some comfort. I did not know this child, but I know that my grandmother felt her loss to the end of her days, which were considerable (she died at 98). Though I did not know her, I was always interested in her brief life, and felt a connection, thus, as an adult, the cemetery visits. That someone else is showing compassion for this child indeed is a comfort; know that your child too will always be remembered, and will have people, perhaps strangers, offering prayers for her. In this way, and in her sister, she lives.
Thank you for reading this, and for sharing your story.

[realmwriter]

You are most welcome and thank you for those words of comfort, they have had their intended effect. :) She is with God and that make me happy :)

[realmwriter]

And so too does the child for whom this poem was written...!

[quinfinn]

this mystery is probably best never solved. one thing is for certain, an angel watches over this child and loves her deeply. this is an exquisite and deeply touching write. Rita, i am very impressed with the poems you have chosen to share with me. i love your writing style.

[Rita L. Sev]

I agree that she is somehow being watched over, which is comforting, though I never knew her. I really appreciate your reviews, Quin!

[quinfinn]

de nada

[Amy Azra Dean]

A lovely, moving piece, thank you for writing it :)

[jwesley]

Very, very nicely written, my friend, with feeling and care.

j.

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you - much appreciated.

[Constance Payne]

Chills....not only from the poem but from the story as well.

Wonderfully written; thank you for sharing.

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you.

[Samuel Dickens]

Wow. These sweet, tender words certainly set the mind a'wondering. How wonderfully kind and considerate it is of someone to place that flower there.

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you. I agree, so kind. I would love to meet this sweet soul there someday. Than you for reading and reviewing.

[Robert James Parfett]

Beautifully written and very moving. It's lovely to think that there are people out there who care even if they are not related. Perhaps they were shocked by the age at which she died. Very sad.

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you, Robert.

[Damien Thibodeaux]

I love this. I've always liked spending time in cemeteries. And I like reading poetry concerning dark subject matter, especially when subtly done. Well written. It's my new favorite.

[Rita L. Sev]

Wow - thank you, Damien. I am not one to visit cemeteries as a habit, but there are quite a few scattered in and around Philadelphia (most of Old City is pretty much a graveyard, though people don't know it!) This particular cemetery holds several family members, so I feel drawn to it. History speaks in an old church graveyard...

[Sami Khalil]

"On this stone
a soul unknown
gives blooms of honey gold

On this stone
all sorrow sown
a child's story told."
I love the whole of this sad poem and the repetition in each stanza but those final lines are amazing...:)

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you! This is a style I don't do often, but the reality of the situation kept bringing me back to that stone... Thanks so much for your review.

[Sami Khalil]

Good to know. You are welcome...:)