Cortney My Daughter

1985 - 2011

Two years today, at four twenty,

A hard line drawn.
My life was again,


Placed in the forge for a scalding,


Hammered tempered to become,
Damascus steel.
Aged, contoured lined,

Defined...


Trinity a realization of the strength of,
Empty.
The power of,
Now.

The need of preparation.
To handle the scalding ,to hold a edge, sharp and narrow,
To Live...

Not brittle, not brittle, no not brittle,

What have you given today ?
How deep ?
How well fed are your roots ?
Do you have Initiative ?
Creativity ?
A double layer of humor ?

To Choose, to live, to grey, to walk on that line drawn hard on my heart,
Today,
To kiss today.

Author's Note

Smooth waters do not make good Sailors.... a belief of truth.

Reviews

[Through the Gateway]

Placed in the forge for a scalding,

This line spoke to me more than any of the others. Knowing the burning loss, trying to shape it into something useful, something that will no longer hurt. At times we hammer away, and out tears is what we use to cool the steel.

A brilliant write.

[lee von cleef]

Thank you , I pray to stay useful, and to add some Will Rodgers into my soul.....

[icelandicblue]

Oh lee, there is nothing on this earth I can say that can do justice to your words or to that line drawn hard on your heart:

Placed in the forge for a scalding,

Hammered tempered to become,
Damascus steel.
Aged, contoured lined,

Defined...

I feel the depth of the forge in your words.

[Einstein Noodle]

I am so very sorry ...it hurts so terribly bad...but your wisdom is divine...that river of pain is so much deeper, wider and more turbulent than that of joy... you are right...we are forged by it...made steady... enabled to endure by it... not many avoid it... God bless your heart with healing and peace... 2yrs is not that long ago.. know that many are with you as you yield to the river's flow...see those on shore; and are able to take the hands reaching out for you...as you stand drying in the sun you then can reach for those still caught in the current...love and peace upon your heart...
E.

[lee von cleef]

Good morning, I do enjoy your poetry and life ,keep writing, this was nice to wake up to.

[Einstein Noodle]

i hope i am not too "preachy" .. i really mean it... :}

[Muse]

Prepping our youth to be sharp like a double edged sword seems like a daunting task these days. I appreciate the following:

What have you given today ?
How deep ?
How well fed are your roots ?
Do you have Initiative ?
Creativity ?
A double layer of humor ?


What have we taught our children? If it is not selflessness...then it must be about vanity and big ego's.

[Azure Montessa (Blue)]

Fascinating! I can sense your pain and the depth of the emotions here is well-crafted. Good job!

[Lydia Shutter]

OH MY....a loss no parent should ever be made to suffer. I am very sorry. May memories be sweet enough to make you smile through tears. Beautifully written. Lydi*

[lee von cleef]

Now that you have stepped on the horse, you need to go to the first I wrote for her. Soul.
Thank you for reading not all of poems need tissue but those two are strong.

[Dye]

I am extremely sorry for your loss. I have four daughters ranging from 4 months to 14 years old and I can't even pretend to understand. My brother passed away at the age of 11 and I know from watching my mother's struggles that time does not heal all wounds, but it does lessen the pain on some days. Your poem was powerful and I am happy to have read a piece of your healing process. My thoughts are with you.

[SHEEMA HUQ]

Your have written about your monumental loss of Courtney with outstanding spirit and a mastery of words, thank you for sharing this exceptional write.

[Angi]

Oh, Lee. I cannot imagine, I cannot imagine. I am asking myself the questions you laid out here. I have some work to do. Cortney was a beautiful girl, hold her smile in your heart, man. Angi~

[Sami Khalil]

Wow. I'm sorry for this terrible loss for I just saw this write and my heart goes out to you and yours. This poem teared me up...Wow. A big brotherly hug ...:)

[lee von cleef]

thank you Sami, thanks for the Hug.

[Sami Khalil]

You are welcome...Any time...:)

[Chris]

I read this and had to get up and walk around a bit before coming back and commenting. The feelings it brought into focus were that strong. You take care.

Chris

[lee von cleef]

Care , yes . Thank you.