Long before I did any other writing (as an adult) I used to write poetry. This was back in the 80s and well before I started my writing course. I went through a very difficult period in my life which lasted a few years and I found that writing poetry was cathartic for me. However, when I came through that dark period I found that I could no longer write poetry with such ease. It seems that my talent for poetry writing only applies to sombre and depressing topics for some strange reason. I have attempted to write happy poetry but haven’t often been successful with only one or two exceptions. So, as my life and my state of mind improved, I gradually stopped writing poetry.
Then, 10 years ago I lost my mother and it was a very traumatic experience. I woke up one morning shortly after her death with the first and last verses of a poem fully formed in my mind. Within half an hour I had added the remaining verses. Together they capture exactly how I felt at that time. After showing the poem to a few relatives the consensus was that it should be read out at the funeral. So it was arranged and many people commented on how moving they found it. That’s the last poem I wrote, and I hope that I won’t feel the urge to write any more for a long time. Here it is:
Each day when I wake I’m filled with pain
To think that we’ll never see you again
You were loving and caring as a mother should be
You meant the world to my brothers and me
For months you suffered but soldiered on
I feel so guilty now that you’re gone
If only we’d known how ill you were
Then maybe you would still be here
The last two weeks were relatively good
They kept you from pain as much as they could
We had a party around your bed
It was lovely to see us together you said
We’ll always remember the happier days
You made us laugh in so many ways
With your quirky sayings and sense of fun
You could turn anything into a pun
Wherever we are you’ll always be there
It’s hard to express just how much we care
Your memory will never go away
For you made us all what we are today
Do you write any poetry that you would like to share? What inspires you with your poetry writing or with writing in general? Please feel free to let me have your feedback below.
Heather Burnside Author 
Oh my goodness, that is simply beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. I didn’t realise you lost your Mum. I’m so sorry. 😦 I lost mine in 1999 and my Dad in 2000. Both died from awful terminal illnesses. Even though I was in my 30s I felt orphaned and still do. I used to write poetry, not avidly, but just when I wanted to make someone laugh. I wrote a poem about my Dad for Fathers Day once – I have it scanned somewhere. I will share it with you privately if I can find it. You’ll get a real sense of who he was. Lovely blog, Diane! X
Thanks Alice, I really appreciate your feedback. I was in two minds whether to put it on the blog as it’s a bit personal but a lot of people had already heard it at the funeral so I thought, why not? It’s awful losing someone that close isn’t it – it’s a pain like no other. I’d love to see your poem about your Dad. Poems can be so expressive, can’t they? X
A lovely poem Diane. Sorry to hear about your mum.
Thank you Guy. It was 10 years ago so it does get easier. I just wanted to show a different writing style via my blog as the theme is all things writing. Look out for my humorous post in a few weeks. 🙂
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Very nice poem. You should write more.
Thank you very much for checking out my blog and for your comment. 🙂
Lovely poem! I tend to write poetry myself and hope to be a poet when I grow up (I`m still in middle school). It must have been terrible to loose your mother! I have never experienced such a loss. But unlike you I can write depressing and cheerful poems. Here`s one of my happy ones, it my cheer you up:
Take me to a fairy tale land where rainbows fill the sky,
Oh, take me to a fairy tale land where all of the pigs can fly,
We`ll laugh, we`ll dance,
we`ll leap, we`ll prance,
And have a lot of fun.
And then we`ll make some new friends and we`ll play with everyone!
Thank you for visiting my blog, Stella. And thanks also for your lovely poem, which is very cheerful. x
Your welcome. I just wanted to lighten the mood.
Stella x.
The Best wishes to you,
Stella X.