How had this fact escaped her mind,that there's another, never met?
Grandmother times three, in truth,
is no truth at all. It's four. The fourth
she's never held and only will be able to
when life has passed her by. Three
generations of women who have
lost a child, too terrible to consider.
One lost a child when just a babe,
the other lost a teen. Third lost
before its birth, son or daughter
no one knows just yet. Three mothers
feeling empty space where child should
be. Perhaps they've found
each other on the other side.
When asked, she always says she has
four children, though one has gone
ahead into eternity. And now, she thinks,
when asked about the others she'll
say there are four grandkids too. Odd
that this never occurred to her before.
It saddens her, the little one
who threw off life but made a way for
second, much loved child who'll
never know he owes his life
to one who couldn't stay.
(c) Ellen Gillette, 2013
This must speak to so many of us, even if not by our own experience but that of a sister, a mother, and that always difficult decision "When asked, she always says she has four children, though one has gone ahead into eternity."
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