20

This is the second poem in a collection I am writing about my Mom, who passed at the tender age of 42 -- when I was 21.

I feel you near, you are here
Your light, your heart, your being
Your memory a treasure; arm's length it stays

Buried far enough to recall,
Surfacing only when called
Emotions still raw

Sometimes I see you there
Familiar flashes
An expression, a phrase, a voice

I write to heal
to keep from reeling
inside

I didn't write to abstain
from the pain
over time

Robbed, cheated
A mother ripped from her daughter's grips
A young woman, lost in the world

Still finding herself, discovering purpose
Old enough to understand death
Too young to understand loss

These words pain me
Memories fail to comfort me
Guilt still haunts me

Should've "dones," could've "saids"
Still need to say, still want to do
A hug, a kiss, a glance, a touch...
Failed apologies, missed "I love yous"

(c) Tracey Gould. All Rights Reserved. 2014.

Reviews

[A. Amos]

Kindly please accept my heartily condolence on your loss and your poignant feelings are very well felt in your poetry, great tribute to your mom...

[SAYED THANGAL]

surely it's deep and from the heart itself and touching. As you stated we feel the value of a thing especially the relatives, when we face their absence, good writing
sayed, India

[Alira]

I absolutely love the fact that this poem does not rhyme continuously. I love the fact that the sounds flow through the piece, which in turn makes it easy to read. I found it intriguing that it's "a mother ripped from her daughter's grips" and not the other way around (like it usually is). I do wish that you'd expounded more on the understandings of death and loss, what they meant to the speaker at that time. Also, the end feels incomplete. I kind of wanted to read on after "missed 'I love yous'" ... You could definitely make this longer! Sentimental, yet different--I like it!