I wrote a simple memorial poem for our lovely innocent
child, which I read to bring our ceremony to a close.
White blossomed sapling
In the dark soil
Forever rooted in my soul,
Reminding me of my child
Our child,
Our brother.
Innocent, forgiving, and forever smiling
As the soft breeze
Among the hedgerows
Spreads its fragrance on the morning dews of Spring.
And you went away in Spring
To dwell forever where no wind of winter
Can chill your eternal spirit.
Your warmth is always with us
Breathing its love upon our wounded souls
Calming our troubled minds
With loving presence.
During this ceremony I watched the sadness in the faces of
my children, and the tears running down Mary’s face. I hope
those tears and that sadness will help to heal us further. Our
sadness is a reminder of what we have lost; of the fun, the
innocence, the forgiving nature that left us in 1990. Yet, as we
stood around the memorial tree I was conscious that somehow
I had five children again. Five wonderful children.
When a Child Dies. Footsteps of a Grieving Family. Published by Veritas