Poems and Quotes

"Smiling doesn't mean you're happy, laughing doesn't mean you don't want to cry and pretending it's fine doesn't make it true." 

-Unknown 

..the pain never truly goes away, it just gets smaller and condensed, tucked away in a corner somewhere in the deep recesses of the heart. There it remains at a constant low level ache, which with time may be overridden. There may be times when a site, a smell, a place, a song, an anniversary or birthday will trigger the old memories and the intensity of the grief and loss will return again. These feelings often arrive without warning and can be just as painful making one feel as though he/she was experiencing the loss anew. -Kirsti A. Dyer, MD, MS


What Makes a Mother

I thought of you and closed my eyes.
And prayed to God today.
I asked what makes a mother and
I know I heard him say,
A mother has a baby.
This we know is true.
But God, can you be a mother
when your baby's not with you?

Yes, you can, He replied
with confidence in His voice.
I give many women babies.
When they leave is not their choice.

Some I send for a lifetime
and others for a day.
And some I send to feel your womb
but there's no need to stay.

I just don't understand this God,
I want my baby here.
He took a breath and cleared His throat
and then I saw a tear.

I wish I could show you
what your child is doing today.
If you could see your child smile
with other children and say,
"We go to earth to learn our lessons
of life and love and fear.

My Mommy loved me, Oh so much,
I got to come straight here.
I feel so lucky to have a Mom
who had so much love for me,
I learned my lesson very quickly.
My Mommy set me free.

I miss my Mommy, Oh so much,
but I visit her each day.
When she goes to sleep,
on her pillow's where I lay.
I stroke her hair and kiss her cheek
and whisper in her ear,
'Mommy don't be sad today,
I'm your baby and I'm here.'"

So you see, my dear sweet one,
your children are okay.
Your babies are here in MY home
and this is where they'll stay.

They'll wait for you with ME
until your lesson is through.
And on the day that you come home,
they'll be at the gates for you.

So now you see what makes a Mother—
It's the feeling in your heart.
It's the love you had so much of,
right from the very start.

Though some on earth may not realize you are a Mother,
until their time is done.
They'll be up here with ME one day,
and know you're the best one.
 

You are a little angel


You are a little angel
That much I know is true
I didn't want an angel
I only wanted you

My heart is still broken
I don't think that will change
Never able to hold you tight
Or kiss away the pain

I know you are around me
In my dreams I always see
Your beautiful, happy, smiling face
Looking right on down at me

I know that you are waiting
With lots of little friends
For the day that will one day come
That will never have an end

I will save you lots of kisses
And heaps of cuddles too
Because you are a little angel
That much I know is true

Mummy and Daddy

Wipe away the tears you have
As I am really near
I know that you get really sad
But you should have no fear

I know that you do love me
I know that you do care
I know that if you could have
You would have kept me there

I have a special job to do
Which is hard for you I know
One day we will be together again
Then I'll never let you go

"Do not judge the bereaved mother.
She comes in many forms.
She is breathing, but she is dying.
She may look young, but inside she has become ancient.

She smiles, but her heart sobs.

She walks, she talks, she cooks, she cleans, she works, she IS,
but she IS NOT, all at once.

She is here, but part of her is elsewhere for eternity."

An Ugly Pair of Shoes
Author Unknown

I am wearing a pair of shoes.
They are ugly shoes.
Uncomfortable Shoes.
I hate my shoes.
Each day I wear them, and each day I wish I had another pair.
Some days my shoes hurt so bad that I do not think I can take another step.
Yet, I continue to wear them.
I get funny looks wearing these shoes.
They are looks of sympathy.
I can tell in others eyes that they are glad they are my shoes and not theirs.
They never talk about my shoes.
To learn how awful my shoes are might make them uncomfortable.
To truly understand these shoes you must walk in them.
But, once you put them on, you can never take them off.
I now realize that I am not the only one who wears these shoes.
There are many pairs in the world.
Some women are like me and ache daily as they try and walk in them.
Some have learned how to walk in them so they don’t hurt quite as much.
Some have worn the shoes so long that days will go by
before they think of how much they hurt.
No woman deserves to wear these shoes.
Yet, because of the shoes I am a stronger woman.
These shoes have given me the strength to face anything.
They have made me who I am.
I will forever walk in the shoes of a woman who has lost a child.

A Man in Grief 
It must be difficult
To be a man in grief,
Since “men don’t cry” and “men are strong”
No tears can bring relief.

It must be very difficult
To stand up to the test
And field calls and visitors
So she can get some rest.

They always ask if she’s doing all right
And what she’s going through,
But seldom take his hand and ask,
“My friend, but how are you?”.

He hears her crying in the night
and thinks his heart will break.
He dries her tears and comforts her,
But stays strong for her sake.

It must be very difficult
To start each day anew
And try to be brave~

He lost his baby too. 

Quote, Author Unknown
"The amount of time on earth matters very little: a man can live in greed and pride 90 years and never find God, know Him or accomplish His Plan. A stillborn baby on the other hand, teaches people to love, brings people to the Lord, teaches us the tenuous nature of life and teaches us a faith that those who have not suffered loss can never know. A child not even breathing for an hour, can have an impact greater than a famous preacher. The purpose of a life is not ours to decide nor in our hands: it is brought about by God"

An Angel Never Dies

Don’t let them say I wasn’t born,
That something stopped my heart
I felt each tender squeeze you gave,
I've loved you from the start.

Although my body you can't hold
It doesn't mean I'm gone
This world was worth, not of me
God chose that I move on.

I know the pain that drowns your soul,
What you are forced to face
You have my word, I'll fill your arms,
Someday we will embrace.

You'll hear that it was meant to be,
God doesn't make mistakes
But that won't soften your worst blow,
Or make your heart not ache.

I'm watching over all you do,
Another child you'll bear
Believe me when I say to you,
That I am always there.

There will come a time, I promise you,
When you will hold my hand,
Stroke my face and kiss my lips
And then you'll understand.

Although I've never breathed your air,
Or gazed into your eyes
That doesn't mean I never was,
An angel never dies.

Stairway

If tears could build a stairway,
And memories were a lane,
We would walk right up to heaven
To bring you down again.

No farewell words were spoken,
No time to say good-bye.
You were gone before we knew it,
And only God knows why.

Our hearts still ache in sadness
And secret tears still flow,
What it meant to lose you,
No one will ever know.

When we are sad and lonely,
And everything goes wrong,
We seem to hear you whisper
"Cheer up and carry on."

Each time we look at your pictures,
You seem to smile and say,
"Don't cry, I'm only sleeping,
We'll meet again someday."

I Need You

You never said you're leaving
You never said goodbye
You were gone before I knew it,
And only God knew why.

A million times I needed you,
A million times I cried.
If love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died.

In life I loved you dearly
In death I love you still
In my heart you hold a place,
That nobody could ever fill.

It broke my heart to lose you,
But you didn't go alone
For part of me went with you,
The day God took you home.

Footprints


These are my footprints,
so perfect and so small.
These tiny footprints
never touched the ground at all.

Not one tiny footprint,
for now I have wings.
These tiny footprints were meant
for other things.

You will hear my tiny footprints,
in the patter of the rain.
Gentle drops like angel's tears,
of joy and not from pain.

You will see my tiny footprints,
in each butterflies' lazy dance.
I'll let you know I'm with you,
if you just give me the chance.

You will see my tiny footprints,
in the rustle of the leaves.
I will whisper names into the wind,
and call each one that grieves.

Most of all, these tiny footprints,
are found on Mommy and Daddy's hearts.
'Cause even though I'm gone now,
We'll never truly be part."

Unknown

A million times I've missed you, a million times I've cried.
If love alone could have saved you, you never would have died.

To some you are forgotten, to others just part of the past;
but to me who loved and lost you, your love will always last.

It broke my heart to lose you, you didn't go alone,
for my life went with you -sweetheart- the day angels called you home.

For things on earth didn't matter, but now I feel so alone,
My heart will always be broken, my life will never be whole.

We might be parted for awhile, our hearts will always be together
for one day soon we will hold hands again forever.

"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live."

"You were a life made of our love."

"A parent’s love cannot be measured by increments of time … an entire lifetime of love can be squeezed into a few brief miraculous moments when necessary…."

“I loved you your whole life.”

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away." 

“Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while but their hearts forever.”

“Some people can only dream of angels,
we got to hold one.”

"A life so brief,

A child so small,
you had the power to
touch us all."

"Softly the leaves of memory fall
Gently I gather and treasure them all,
Unseen, unheard you are always near,
So missed, so loved, so very dear.
No longer in our lives to share,
But in our hearts you're always there."

"What we have once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply 

becomes a part of us." 

~Helen Keller

"When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight."
~Kahlil Gibran

"A single moment can spark a lifetime of memories."

“When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.”

"Those we have held in our arms for a while,
we hold on our hearts forever."

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched, but are felt in the heart.”

~Helen Keller

“When called upon, we all find what we need to keep moving forward.”

“There is truly no better feeling in life than to hold the life you made in your arms.”

"If you know someone who has lost a child and you're afraid to mention them because you think you might make them sad by reminding them that they died--you're not reminding them. They didn't forget they died. What you're reminding them of is that you remembered that they lived, and that is a great gift." --Elizabeth Edwards

"If I had lost a leg, I would tell them, instead of a boy, no one would ever ask me if I was 'over' it. They would ask me how I was doing learning to walk without my leg. I was learning to walk and to breath and to live without Wade. And what I was learning is that it was never going to be the life I had before." --Elizabeth Edwards

She is Gone

by David Harkin

You can shed tears that she is gone,

or you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back,

or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.

Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,

or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,

or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her only that she is gone,

or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind,

be empty and turn your back.

Or you can do what she'd want:

smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

Ernest Hemingway was given a challenge: to write a complete story, in under 10 words. Hemingway, known for his brevity, was able to do it in six.
For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.

The Cord

We are connected,
My child and I, by
An invisible cord
Not seen by the eye.

It's not like the cord
That connects us 'til birth
This cord can't been seen
By any on Earth.

This cord does it's work
Right from the start.
It binds us together
Attached to my heart.

I know that it's there
Though no one can see
The invisible cord
From my child to me.

The strength of this cord
Is hard to describe.
It can't be destroyed
It can't be denied.

It's stronger than any cord
Man could create
It withstands the test
Can hold any weight.

And though you are gone,
Though you're not here with me,
The cord is still there
But no one can see.

It pulls at my heart
I am bruised...I am sore,
But this cord is my lifeline
As never before.

I am thankful that God
Connects us this way
A mother and child
Death can't take it away!

My Child’s Name 
Go ahead and mention my child,
The one that died, you know.
Don’t worry about hurting me further;
The depth of my pain doesn’t show.
Don’t worry about making me cry;
I’m already crying inside.
Help me to heal by releasing the tears that I try to hide.
I’m hurt when you just keep silent, pretending he didn’t exist.
I’d rather you mention my child,
Knowing that he has been missed.
You ask me how I am doing,
I say “pretty good” or “fine”,
But healing is something ongoing.
I feel it will take a lifetime.

“I loved the boy with the utmost love

of which my soul is capable;

and he is taken from me—

yet in the agony of my spirit in surrendering such a treasure

I feel a thousand times richer

than if I had never possessed it.” 
- William Wordsworth

Sometimes, when one person is missing, the whole world seems depopulated.  ~Lamartine

"A wife who loses a husband is called a widow. A husband who loses a wife is called a widower. A child who loses his parents is called an orphan. There is no word for a parent who loses a child. That's how awful the loss is." ~Ronald Reagan

Grief is Like a River
By Cinthia G. Kelley

My grief is like a river,
I have to let it flow,
but I myself determine
just where the banks will go.

Some days the current takes me
in waves of guilt and pain,
but there are always quiet pools
where I can rest again.

I crash on rocks of anger;
my faith seems faint indeed,
but there are other swimmers
who know that what I need

Are loving hands to hold me
when the waters are too swift,
and someone kind to listen
when I just seem to drift.

Grief's river is a process
of relinquishing the past.
By swimming in hope's channels,
I'll reach the shore at last.

“A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dates all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.” Agatha Christie “The Last Séance”

My Mom is a Survivor
Kaye Des'Ormeaux

My mom is a survivor, Or so I have heard it said.

But I can hear her crying When all others are in bed.

I watch her lay awake at night And go to hold her hand.

She doesn’t know I’m with her To help her understand.

But like the sands upon the beach That never wash away...

I watch over my surviving mom, Who thinks of me each day.

She wears a smile for others... A smile of disguise.

But through heaven’s open door I see tears flowing from her eyes

My mom tries to cope with my death To keep my memory alive.

But to anyone who knows her, knows it’s her way to survive.

As I watch over my surviving mom Through heaven’s open door...

I try to tell her Angels protect me forevermore.

I know that doesn’t help her... Or ease the burden she bears.

So if you get a chance, talk to her... And show her that you care.

For no matter what she says... No matter what she feels.

My surviving mom has a broken heart That time won’t ever heal.

  

My Child

You changed me.

You changed who I am,

You changed who I will be

I am forever changed because of you.

You’ve taught me that love has no boundries

You've taught me that there is more to life than what I know

You’ve taught me to really truly count my blessings.

You’ve taught me the strength of a bond between a mother and a child.

Life is unpredictable

Life is about the love you share, and the people you share it with

Life isn’t easy and there is pain beyond measure

But my life must continue, even though your life is gone.

I must continue, so that I can change the lives of others the way you have forever changed me.