The Longest Goodbye

I was finally able to write this piece after living through 7 years of guilt.

You sat there watching me

As I rushed around the house

Tossing things into boxes

With a look on your face...

"uh oh... mom's being silly again"

A quick phone call or two

None being the right one

No "don't do it - don't go - you'll be sorry"

 

Would it have mattered?

Would I have listened by then?

 

You watched the car pull up

A man takes the boxes

Frozen tears fall from the sky

Blending with my own.

I bend down to hug and kiss you

"Be a good girl - Mommy loves you"

And the car takes me away.

 

How long did you sit

Watching out the window

For my return

Before you realized

I wasn't coming back?

What went through your mind?

 

But... I did come back after 4 months

Only for awhile.

Seeing you realize

It was me.

Bending down so you could smother me

With kisses all over my face.

Funny how, out of everyone

You were the happiest to see me.

 

Then I was gone again.

But I did come back...

And you were gone.

Never again would I see you

Except in my dreams.

 

I'm sorry.

 

 

Author's Note

As if it wasn't hard enough writing this in Aug '07... it was almost as hard re-typing it now... amazing how the tears can flow.

Reviews

[Fantasyfairy]

I have been bought to tears! If you knew me, then you would know that isn't something that happens often. Such a beautiful poem. I thought at first it was about a child, then I got to the end and discovered it was a baby still, just not a human one. Animals are the hardest to leave behind because there is no way of ever explaining why you have to leave them, and that you will not be back for a while. Such a shame you had to lose her completely. They love with such devotion, unconditional love, and they never lie or pretend to like you when they don't. XX

[Robert Haigh]

So sad. Such a hard and searingly painful thing (or series of things) to bear. Family is important, and should be a thing to treasure, but for some people this cannot be, it would seem, for whatever reason.

[Legacy]

PoeticElf,

Wow… Such a beautiful write.

Good thing it ended where it did – Not sure if I could of held the tears back any longer.

Great Read, Thank you.

~ Legacy, Keep on Writing Life

[Arlene Fleisher]

Glad you liked the poem.... were you able to see the photo??? I noticed now that it has been moved??

[Arlene Fleisher]

If you look in Notes on my Facebook page, you will see this poem and the photo there.

[Another Relic]

I like a poet who can misdirect us in a surprising way. This is very sad though a very good piece of writing.

[Arlene Fleisher]

Many thanks. Glad you enjoyed this.

[pinpen]

OMG! This really tugged a me, Very gripping write.

[Coyote Poetry]

A sad and beautiful poem. Photo made me sad. Animals are more wise the we think. Story was very good. In a life we leave too much behind.
Coyote

[Ammal Ahmed]

Hey, I can feel it deep inside!

Ok, its amazing I personally love it! please check both my poems out and comment :D

good luck x

[Mandy]

I'm crying. That was so touching, I can only imagine what you must be feeling. I always imagine scenerios with my Chihuahua, Lucky, who I've had since I was five, where I don't see him from 6 months, then I see him again, and he tries to get my attention, and I don't notice, then I leave and he passes before I see him again. Those thoughts haunt me. I'm sorry for your loss :'( I'm not able to tell if it was a death or something else, but either of them would feel terrible. I'm also not able to tell why you had to leave, but aside from the details, I'm just taken by the emotion in this. Wonderful poem, sad emotion.

[Lady V]

Awh. That only means that this piece is truly from your heart. I love it. Great piece.

Live, Love and Learn

Lady V

[Marvin Lewis Jr.]

This was sad, beautiful and thought-provoking!

You tell a story very well,

excellent write!

[Michael]

Writing about loss is therapeutic but it does have its price, it brings the emotions right back to the forefront. Even reading a work you wrote long before can do it. It is a good story you tell, of course you do leave us to wonder just what happened but that does not take away from the emotion of loss you feel, and that is what it's about.

Very nice write.