Second Chances One

Rain fell from the sky and shrouded the graveyard in gray, its wetness mingling with my tears and the tears of our boys. Mark and Jason clung to my legs, while William wrapped his arms tightly around my neck.

I watched as Matthew, one of the boys my wife often kept as a child, helped carry her coffin to the grave. As they lowered her body to the ground, a gale of wind and rain proclaimed the rage and sorrow I couldn't show.

Mark, the image of his mom, looked up at me. For a moment, it was her eyes I saw, and then his face reappeared. At ten, he was doing his best to imitate me. Panic and loneliness caught in my chest and I wondered how I was going to raise our children alone.

“Dear God,” I whispered, “I can't do this by myself.” Jason looked up at me.

“Are you praying Daddy?” His soft childish voice wrapped around me and I knelt to embrace my middle child. His voice was the one that calmed his mother during her illness. It was his voice, which strove to comfort me now. Mark put his arms around me.

“I'll help you Dad.”

I reached to pull him close, “I know you will son.” William turned loose of my neck and reached out to Mark. He wrapped his arms around him. At his touch, Mark's bravery was gone and he clung to his brother and cried. His tears proved to be my undoing, and I gathered our children close, as our tears joined the falling rain.¹

1Jeremiah 31:131 Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.

Reviews

[A.Lee]

How heartbreaking. Each person trying to be strong for the other. I love that scripture though.

[Coyote Poetry]

A very sad and beautiful chapter. Sometime the vision of children are better then the adults. I like the chapter. No easy way to describe the pain of losing someone special in a life. A very strong chapter.
Coyote