Remembering You

You are not forgotten.

How can you be?

You are the warrior princess

who took over my life

from the day you flew into it,

small and fierce.

You, who never left my side

and could be left free to do so.

When you left me finally

and stopped breathing,

I know you took with you

a piece of my heart

which belonged to you.

Bright eyes and large ears,

you battled medical issues

since the first year of your life,

and I cherish each moment,

before and after.

Bossy and yet kind to me,

you withstood such pain.

You showed me how to treat

the bloodiest of wounds,

and so deal

with any that come my way now.

You and the five before you

took pieces of me,

and I earn my life with the years

I spent with each of you.

Looking back, after you left,

I know I have gained a good life

in being a part of yours.

I know you’ve joined that line

of my kids waiting in

the air, earth and water.

When my time comes,

I’ll be content to go,

because I may yet get the chance

to be with you again.

Go

As I grow older,
The heart grows colder:
The friends from my past
Did not really last.

The flames of youth
Are rendered moot.
Against bitter time,
I do not whine.

If as I grow,
I get to know
Everything dies,
I harbour no lies.

Death chips my heart,
Part by stony part;
And each sharp blow
Teaches to let go.

I have learnt well,
Walking through Hell,
That heaven is the same
With a different name.

And as grief goes,
With each smile,
I must let anger go
In the same style.

When They First Come

When they first come into your bed,
Your fear is suspended,
By the way they look at you.
Like the flaws you see
Are invisible to them.

They want to touch you;
Feed off you;
Hold you and sway you
To the rhythm of their bodies.
You feel seen.
You make love.

Time changes that –
That look that drifts into routine
Is a result of repetition.
Here, practice makes boredom;
Perfection is boring.

So you once again look in the mirror
And see what you should not have missed,
All this time.
The mirror hasn’t changed.