Miscarriage
I found the box disguised as a book
in our dank basement and pulled open
the satin bow, looped lavender, closed
for decades. Silverfish must have eaten
some words off the tucked paper,
but began bleeding
and the names Fiona or Tara
lived in the recesses. What if you had been
another boy? I blew the dust away
and reshelved the box.
16 thoughts on "Miscarriage"
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Strongly written, yet heartbreaking poem. Thank you for sharing
Thanks for reading!
Powerful
Powerfully drawn out.
Physically felt so many emotions with these words:
began bleeding
Thanks for commenting, Pam!
Thanks for reading
This is so well done and also sad, Ellen. You tell a painful story well.
Thanks for reading, Nancy!
This poem uses a light touch to address a very heavy event. The constrast really helps the poem.
Thanks for commenting, Linda. I’ve enjoyed reading your powerful work!
I have books from dank basements and dark rooms in my office and library. I treasure even the ones with words digested. Thanks for slipping into my cherished space…
Thanks for stopping by!
Ellen, such a powerful, haunting poem created with so few words, and as Linda Bryant says above “a light touch to address a very heavy event.”
That line “but began bleeding” did me in, as well as the lovely names in the following line.
Thanks, Karen–for the close reading and the comment!
Yes, the pain reshelved. Wonderful and sad. And like all of us, shelved again.
Yes, we all have our sadnesses that we stay with us.