A Child's Tears

a lot's been going on that I'm not quite ready to blog about (nothing life-or-death, no marriage trouble, the boys are fine), I was taking a break from brooding to do something constructive, unpacking a box of books that'd been sitting on the bookshelf for months and came across a book of poetry written by my grand-uncle, who died when I was in kindergarten or first grade. The book says it was published in 1982 (self-published I think) so it was close to when he died. His death was sudden, in his bedroom, I think a heart attack or something. This particular poem really fits well with the school shooting that happened in Cleveland last week so I thought I'd share it both as a sign of respect for all touched by that, and in memory of my uncle. And just as I was about to compose this blog entry I got an email that a friend whom I haven't seen in a while just lost his dad so this is for Neil too.

A Child's Tears by Norvin Pallas
A Child's tears are quickly dried,
the night's dreads are thrust aside,
the sun's rays again will warm,
the rains end like any storm.
The bruised knee will soon be loose,
and pride soothed with apple juice.
The strayed thought will be retrieved,
and time's march is ill perceived.
The day ends with Mother's kiss;
all doubts melt to dreamless bliss...

Except once I saw a child,
his face not reposed nor wild,
a blank page with nothing writ,
the eyes dulled, doors to the pit.
For fate's shaft too deeply bore,
and naught now can hurt him more.
All warmth oozed out through the breech -
the probe taught all it could teach -
a lost heart with naught inside...
This child's tears could not be dried.


Rest in peace, Asa Coon. May your peers learn to live in peace and be offered the opportunities peace requires.