Haiku 18 Timeworn gravestones speak Beloved son, aged eight years Heartache lingers ***** by Lori Lipsky
Lori Lipsky | Poetry Patio
Poetry for the rest of us
Haiku 18 Timeworn gravestones speak Beloved son, aged eight years Heartache lingers ***** by Lori Lipsky
Sad, Lori..
There is always something even more sad about death when it happens to the very young….
I remember my great grandmother shedding tears every time she talked about her young daughter who had died…even after sixty years had gone by.
I haven’t done so for a while, however I used to enjoy visiting cemeteries and reading the history. One in particular was a very old one where many ‘small’ graves were marked. One such had a headstone that read: “Here lies Mary Jane aged 2. It was the nanny’s fault”. I couldn’t help but feel somewhat sorry for the nanny, and for the mother who didn’t get to enjoy her daughter’s life…
Can you imagine putting those words on the headstone? Poor Nanny. Poor toddler. Poor angry mother. Two year olds can be so curious and accidents do happen.
My thoughts exactly, Lori….!
A word that carries weight: Beloved. Thanks, Lori!
It’s interesting to re-consider the poem after your comment, since the emphasis in my mind was on the word linger. Hmm.
Very moving.
Those who have lost children bear a special burden.
I love to look at headstones if I visit a graveyard – the stories left behind are so real and heart-breaking, and full of the tragedies and loves of so many lives…
I was walking through a cemetery a few weeks ago to search for a family marker. It was the first time I’d spent time in a cemetery in a while.
The personal histories draw me in, plus it’s good once in a while to be reminded of the brevity of life.
Isn’t that the truth? It takes a funeral sometimes to teach us how to truly live. (And the effect wears off, I’m afraid.) We need reminders – like a poem now and then!
My baby brother lost his daughter at birth and I will never forget that tiny little casket at the gravesite. Very stirring haiku Lori.
I’ve never seen a little casket like that.
Gravestones can speak volumes. Great job, Lori!
Yes they sometimes do. Thanks, Joanie.
Few words that speak volumes…
Thanks for reading. Hugs back.
Oh this breaks the heart. A poignant haiku Lori.
Good to hear from you, Jennifer.