CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
NICOLE
NANCY BRISKAY CORNELL LIPSIUS
This poem was written about a grandchild that lived only an hour.
You lived
One hour, sixty minutes, 3600 seconds,
An infinitesimal eternity.
You were your mother reborn,
A minute reflection of your father.
Warm, soft, serene, quiet, without
Struggle or lusty cry.
Untouched by the lights,
Harsh, glaring, white-hot fingers
Probing, remote corners of your being,
Accentuating the stark white ‘neath your body,
Not so much cleanness, but purity.
You seemed
To be sleeping, unaware of your nakedness,
Or the photographer, an agitated spider
Hopping about,
Clicking, positioning, endlessly clicking.
Deaf to the hustle and bustle, the clang
And clatter of busy-ness
You welcomed
The comfort of my arms.
Nestled against the warmth of my breast
You swelled the ragged emptiness of my heart.
You knew me
As the link to your beginning,
Your ending.
You gave me
Momentary joy, eternal sadness,
A sense of longing,
A fleeting glimpse of the Core of your Being.
In the passing of your spirit
You taught me
Joy and sorrow, hand in hand.
ADDITIONAL READING:
And who will reach the downtrodden? Lent Devotion #18
This is probably supposed to be a space to comment on the writing, but I have a bit more to say than that. I’m Nicole’s mother.
The first time I read this I hated our mother. She was with Nicole while I was kept in a recovery room and kept in the dark as to anything happening with my baby. After that hour I was informed that my Nicole was dead. They brought her to my room but I was not allowed to hold her. They whisked her away. All I ever saw was her face.
After awhile though, I was glad that Mom wrote down the event this way. Maybe it gave her peace to do it, but she also provided a way to immortalized my Nicole in words. And Carolyn finished the tribute. Three women silently acknowledging this short life. I love you Carolyn.
A part of me died with Nicole. I’m her mother. Of course it did. I could not let her go alone. That’s where I’ll stay until the day I can hold her.
Comment by Jane Driver — October 20, 2009 @ 12:26 pm |
Jane, thank you for adding to and enriching this very important poem.
Yes, this website, and the Beanery Online Literary Magazine (www.beanerywriters.wordpress.com), are set up as writing sites. However, readers are invited to comment on the stories behind the writings, as you did. This kind of sharing is what touches the hearts of readers, and often leads them to healing.
Again, thank you. Your sister, Carolyn
Comment by Carolyn C. Holland — October 21, 2009 @ 3:00 am |