Everyone is made differently and each person writes in different ways, for different reasons. Poets, however, are unique in that when they write poetry, they reveal their soul to the world. You get a sense of a person's spirit through their poetry because unlike works of fiction, real emotive poetry stems from the depths of the soul.
I've written many poems over the last 20 years, but I can't just sit down and write a poem...not one that's worth reading, anyway. For me to write a poem, I've got to feel the words pour from my inner being. I've got to know that if I don't express my thoughts through verse, I'll explode. That's what turns a good poem, into a powerful, gut-wrenching, poem.
In 2007, my wife and I lost our 2nd child. I was angry, bitter, and sad, but mostly I was angry. The pain was eating me alive and the only thing I could do was sit down and write a poem. No, the pain didn't go away after writing it, but I finally had an outlet through which to pour my feelings. I was in a very dark place. Poetry helped me find solace during the storm.
End of the Road
I've lost my child tonight
Pain flows through me like a sieve
My heart is broken, torn apart
I've lost my will to even live.
I've lost the one I've loved so much
My heart leaks life with every beat
I long to feel that tender touch
A little child, I'll never meet.
Why must life be filled with pain?
Why must hearts be broken so?
Why must sorrow be my bane?
Why must God always say "No"?
I've lost the love that filled my soul
It's ripped to shreds, lost to the wind
To end this life; that is my goal
I want the pain to finally end.
What a process you went through. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you everyone for the thoughtful comments and kind words. Over the years we have lost two little boys but we cherish the life of our only living child all the more. When life throws challenges at us like this we can either drown in the storm or learn to dance in the rain.
Such an emotional poem. We do not know why things happen and maybe never will. So sorry you have to deal with this. Your words release pain although it does not disappear. Maybe they will help ease someone else's pain. Keep sharing.
Thank you, Jeremy, for taking time out to share this incredibly touching post. We are completely moved.
We're truly sorry to learn of you and your wife's loss, and cannot express how much we appreciate your courage to convey such a painful and heartbreaking experience to the community.
Words certainly cannot explain nor compensate for the void grief brings in times of sorrow, yet we must continue on for those who love and need us, and for the spirit of the one(s) we have lost as well.
No matter what, your courage, honesty, poetry and testimony will surely be of inspiration to others, and your words, not in vain.
We sincerely wish only blessings and goodness for you and your family.