He Left Too Soon: A Poem About Losing a Child

He Left Too Soon: A Poem About Losing a Child

ABOUT THIS POEM: He Left Too Soon is part of a collection of poems about losing a child from the book, Bury My Heart: Poems About Losing A Child to Suicide. You can read more about the book at the end of this post.

My Forever Son

Eleven years ago, I lost my 20-year-old son, my only child, to suicide. Losing my son to suicide meant entering a dark, deep period of grief and mourning from which I wasn’t sure I could ever return.

Carrying both ache and love

I have not returned because in losing Dylan, I lost myself too. But I have retrieved, ever so slowly, bits and pieces of myself, a self who has learned to smile again, laugh again, play music, write poems and this blog, and take photographs of my gardens. Yet still and always, I carry both love and ache for my son.

Writing my way through grief

Nothing has ever been the same. I am forever changed, and writing these poems are the way I’ve found to heal. The poems convey deep emotions and offer solace to those experiencing grief. This post also includes links to download additional poems and purchase a book.

The Poem: He Left Too Soon

How sobering to stand over your child’s grave. Inscribed, bronzed, dates of birth–and death, red roses and white carnations. All my love going down, down, down with his casket to his grave. Weeping tears even in my sleep.

Beat Still My Heart. Beat Still My Mind. Weary as thou art, carry his love across all time. Missing him more than words could ever say.

---

The Poem: He Left Too Soon

He Left Too Soon
 
He left too soon,
Lifting life from June,
Casting torrents of rain.
 
His absence,
Breath of pain whose exhale can only bring
Heart heaving, this heavy beating of tears

Breaking loose,
All hell in earth's upturned rupture, 
Death shoveling shadows over me.

As I bend to lay flowers upon his name,
Inscribed and bronzed, 
A permanence come to stay,
 
My love laced now with pain,
Standing over my son's grave,
Death's Derecho come to stay in my shadow.

He Left Too Soon
©Beth Brown, 2021
Find Hope Here: Poems About Losing a Child

---

Download 3 Free Poems About Losing a Child to Suicide

Download 3 Free Poems About Losing a Child to Suicide

---

Bury My Heart: Poems About Losing a Child to Suicide

About the Book of Poems

BOOK SUMMARY: BURY MY HEART: POEMS ABOUT LOSING A CHILD TO SUICIDE

Bury My Heart is a collection of poems that intimately explores the painful journey of losing a child to suicide. The author delves into the depths of grief, navigating through the complexities of emotions and contemplating the profound impact of such a tragic loss. This book serves as a powerful tribute to the author’s child and offers solace to those who have experienced similar heartbreaking circumstances.

1. A Deep Sorrow: The author delves into the raw and overwhelming sorrow that engulfs the heart after losing a child to suicide. The poems encapsulate the profound pain and grief, depicting the author’s struggle to come to terms with this devastating tragedy.

2. Earth, Stars, Moon, Sky: Here, the author finds solace and reflections in the natural world. Through vivid and contemplative imagery, the poems explore the intricate connection between nature and the grieving process, offering a sense of healing and connecting with something greater than oneself.

3. Why? The “Why?” section delves into the deeply human experience of grappling with the unanswered question of why their child chose to take their own life. These poems intricately examine the multitude of emotions and thoughts that encompass this agonizing contemplation.

4. In Losing You, I Lost Me Too: This section focuses on the aftermath of loss and how it profoundly changes the author’s sense of self. The poems delve into the journey of rediscovery, reflecting on the shattered pieces of identity and the challenging process of rebuilding after such a significant loss.

5. That My Love Be With You Always: The concluding selection of poems offers a message of eternal love and remembrance. These poems tenderly express the author’s enduring love and desire to keep their child’s memory alive, offering solace and hope to those who have experienced loss and reminding readers of the enduring power of love.

Bury My Heart is a heartfelt and poignant collection of poems that intimately captures the complexities of grief and celebrates the enduring connection between a parent and their lost child. Available Now on Amazon Kindle.

---

Find Hope Here: Poems of Love, Loss, and Losing a Child

Find Hope Here: Poems of Love, Loss and Losing a Child

---

---

---

---