Widows and Poetry

On Tuesdays I want to encourage you to tell your story---talk about your husband and your life with him. Talk about his death, the funeral, your losses. Talking helps. There are other ways to tell your story too. Have you ever tried poetry?

You're not scared, are you? I didn't just hear you say, "I could never write a poem!" did I? Let me reassure you. Poetry doesn't need to rhyme. Your personal poems don't need any rules at all. They can be as long, or as short, as you want. Sometimes five words might be all you need. Other times you might write pages. Poetry captures thoughts, lays them down in lines, and works them to sparkle like a jeweler polishes a diamond. After you've written a poem, you not only have quite an accomplishment, you also have something to share with others or quietly treasure for yourself.

When a widow named Tammy sent me her tribute for the Memorial Wall here on this blog, she included a poem that she'd adapted from an anonymous poem. I couldn't include it on our Memorial Wall, but I'm honored to share it with you today. I hope it'll inspire you to try writing your own poetry too. Chris would have been 57 on Saturday, Feb. 2, so Tammy thought this would be an appropriate and meaningful week to post this. Let's all be remembering her and the family in prayer. I've copied her memorial at the end of the poem for you. ♥ ferree

A man among men
We lost One May night
Feeling such peace
As he followed the light

The love in his eye
And the sound of his laughter
Remains in our hearts
Forever and after

Through all of his loved ones
He'll never be gone
Through each one of us
His spirit lives on

We all have a purpose
And something to give
With each breath
That we take
For as long as we live

Chris can rest easy
With Angels above
As we share his gift
Of laughter and love

It always has been
And always will be true
He's the King among friends
We love you Chris

May 12, 2011 * Tammy * Husband Chris, Pancreatic Cancer * Jennifer 28, Brian 27, Paul 25, Joseph 23, Katlin 21 * Chris passed 4 days before our 30th anniversary. He lived 5 yrs with Glioblastoma Multiforme Brain Cancer and then got a 2nd primary cancer which is the one he died from.