About Dylan

“Sometimes I touch the things you used to touch, looking for echoes of your fingers.”

Iain Thomas

A Poem about Losing a Child-Once Upon a Blue-Sky Moon

Once Upon a Blue-Sky Moon

A Poem for Dylan 
by Beth Brown

And once upon a blue-sky moon,
We sailed our ships in your bedroom,
With stars for light, we fled the dark
But the lightening flashed, 
And the sky grew dark.

You tucked away your childhood dreams
On wings that soared beyond infinity,
Your love in me and me in you,
But out of reach, beyond what I could do.

I launched your dreams
You took great flight
On wings alone you soared too high
But you found ways to onward flee
To galaxies beyond my means.

I watched you drift through hazy sky
And chalked it up to a teenage angst,
But oh my son, if I’d only known
I’d have reached right in to your dark night’s soul--

 I would have held on
 I would have clutched you
 I would have never let you go
 But you Told me 
“Mom I love you”
 Oh my child if I’d only known.

So I kissed you and I held you,
And I said goodbye,
Not knowing, blue-star moon,
I would lose you that night.

You lived, you breathed, alive in pain
Through storm-dark nights and cloudy haze
But I didn’t know what I couldn’t see
The damage done beyond my means.

My sky is dark, my nights deep blue
My winter’s come, my star’s with you,
Without you here I cannot fly
My wings you clipped 
When you took your life.

And I live on and onward flee
Towards you my son and to infinity,
Where dreams come true and you live on,
And we fly again around planets and sun

With stars that glow against the moon,
Your love in me and me in you.

I will hold you, 
You will clutch me
We will never let go,
And you’ll tell me, 
“Mom, I love you”
And tears from earth will overflow,
And I’ll know then, blue sky-moon,
To never ever let you go.

© Beth Brown, 2021 
 All rights reserved

His absence—
Breath of pain whose exhale can only bring
Heart heaving, this beating of tears

Beth Brown, “Derecho”

He left too soon—
Lifting life from June,
Casting torrents of rain

Beth Brown, from “Bury My Heart” in Find Hope Here: Featuring Poems About Losing a Child

About Dylan

What was his full name?

Dylan Andrew Brown

What was his favorite TV show?

Anything comedy central, cartoon network, and/or history channel. Especially Jon Stewart. Throughout the years, “Rugrats,” “The Magic School Bus,” “Arthur,” “Busy Town,” “Power Rangers,” “Ninja Turtles,” “Pokemon,” “Spongebob,” and in his teen years, “Southpark,” “Who’s Line is it Anyway?” Anime, and “Myth Busters.”

Did he have a favorite stuffed animal?

Dylan had lots of stuffed animals as a child. He loved them all and at bedtime, used to surround himself with his stuffed animals. When Dylan graduated from high school, a family friend gave Dylan a stuffed Build-A-Bear, replete with graduation cap, gown, and sash that read “Class of 2010.”

Did he have a favorite blanket?

I don’t know if any were favorites, but I remember them all—baby duck blanket, Thomas the Tank blanket, striped multi-colored blanket, Dockers’ red and blue plaid blanket. Most favorite was his pillow, a feather pillow from when he was young. I have this pillow and always will.

What did he enjoy doing as a teenager or from age 11 on?

Rollerblading, playing lots of guitar, writing and recording music, playing in a rock band with his friends, listening to music, especially Avenged Sevenfold and Asking Alexandra, being with his friends, sleepovers, and gaming.

Did he like sports?

Does music count as a sport? He was a talented musician who played guitar, piano, and saxophone, and he loved to compose music, especially searing guitar leads and electronic music. He wanted to be on the baseball team and did go to try outs. He expressed interest in track, and ran regularly, but never tried out for the track team. He liked to watch extreme sports on TV (snowboarding, Tony Hawk rollerblading).

What age did your child live until?

20 years, 3 months and 5 days

Anything else we should know about your child?

Dylan was so incredibly creative and gifted musically. And oh so smart. He knew how to make lots of funny faces to make his friends laugh, and he was always there for those who needed to talk. But he tucked away his own feelings and emotional pain.

Dylan was a deep thinker who asked big questions without easy answers. He was quiet and shy until you got to know him, and he had a knack for always making his friends laugh and smile.

He held in so much—never letting you know what was truly on his heart, never letting you see him cry or be down, even in the midst of great and terrible depression. Dylan was a Godsend, a beautiful son, and my life’s most precious gift. I’d trade it all just to be with him.

I am Beth, Dylan’s Mom
March 19, 1992-June 25, 2012
Forever my heart, my wings, my love

Where to Find Support, Resources, and Hope-Losing a Child to Suicide