Her
I wonder if my first breath was as soul-stirring to my mother
as her last breath was to me. —Lisa Goich
Without dreams to follow
I’m lost in my day
I wander around
with her in my body
I guard my grief
and push myself forward
I don’t know where she ends
and where I begin
I want her hands of my body
to be free of work and worry
I want her voice in me
to be sweet
Every memory must play out
Must be squeezed
to render what was good
Must be seen as a part of the whole
I want her arms of my body
to give and receive affection
I want to hold and keep
what’s left of her in me
I want the eye of my mind
to embody every glimpse
whether meaningful or uneventful
whether hurtful or helpful
__________Colleen Redman / Poets United
November 5th, 2017 7:43 am
There’s a lot of grief in that poem…so sorry for your loss.
November 5th, 2017 9:25 am
where we begin and end is the question throughout this grief – very moving piece of poetry
November 5th, 2017 10:42 am
This is so touching 🙁 I m so sorry for your loss, Colleen.
November 5th, 2017 10:53 am
Ah here’s peace of mind and relaxation to you my friend for your loss. lovely but sad write. thanks for this.
November 5th, 2017 11:37 am
This is a very insightful portrait of grief and of how we embody the loved one in our beings, or try to. I love the quote at the top of this poem, and am sure that first breath did have similar impact. The loss of one’s mother is a deep one, Colleen. This is a beautiful poem. Thank you for sharing.
November 5th, 2017 11:51 am
There is this sense of phantom pains that I think of as a physical manifestation of grief… that separation where we almost feel that what we’ve lost is there…
November 5th, 2017 12:05 pm
A beautiful portrayal of grief, lovely words indeed.
November 5th, 2017 12:12 pm
Yes, the loss of one’s Mother is not something to be put down easily…we keep her close, inside of us. A day doesn’t pass I don’t miss my Mother.
November 5th, 2017 12:30 pm
Sorry for your loss. The need to hold on to her through the time of grief is portrayed aptly through this poem
November 5th, 2017 12:47 pm
The deep loss felt when we lose a parent….it brought back the memories of my dad’s death, and how I still feel him in me and around me. Trying to hold on to each piece of him I can. Wishing you solace.
November 5th, 2017 3:51 pm
Lovely and sad. Such a heart wrenching piem. I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my mother in June. This poem brings tears.
November 5th, 2017 7:33 pm
This is really beautiful, Colleen. Expressed so caringly. It touched my heart.
November 5th, 2017 9:31 pm
What a beautiful and touching poem this is Colleen. I love the acknowledgement that we have a part of our parents in us despite the fact that they have gone; which is a comforting thought.
November 6th, 2017 5:33 am
The poem stirs the core. So sorry for your loss Colleen.
November 6th, 2017 12:08 pm
Colleen, how beautifully you express your grief. What a wonderful thought about how the loved one continues to live within you. This stirred memories of my own mother and how she does live within me and influences my thoughts and behaviors.
My truest condolences to you.