Once my brother died, my mother was never the same. I have friends whose children have died, and they seem forever broken. Joy continues but there is always a shadow lingering.
come from her soul,
not her eyes.
There is no reprieve
from the pain
of a child lost
while the mother’s
heart still beats.
Imagine each beat
fueled by devotion.
As long as her children
are safe, healthy,
happy enough,
the heart keeps time.
Bumps in the road
may cause a flutter -
tears, worry,
a momentary ache -
but as long as their hearts beat,
hers learns their rhythms.
But when a child dies,
the rhythm is broken.
How can a heart beat the same
when part of it
is gone?
Yes, heaven may offer comfort,
but it cannot restore
the pulse that once passed
between two hearts -
the connection of
mother and child.
Forever changed,
all hearts beat on,
never the same.
Her broken heart
has reshaped theirs.
Loss goes with them.
Poetry by Melinda K Zarate
Read 21 times
Written on 2026-01-27 at 19:25
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No Reprieve
The tears of a mothercome from her soul,
not her eyes.
There is no reprieve
from the pain
of a child lost
while the mother’s
heart still beats.
Imagine each beat
fueled by devotion.
As long as her children
are safe, healthy,
happy enough,
the heart keeps time.
Bumps in the road
may cause a flutter -
tears, worry,
a momentary ache -
but as long as their hearts beat,
hers learns their rhythms.
But when a child dies,
the rhythm is broken.
How can a heart beat the same
when part of it
is gone?
Yes, heaven may offer comfort,
but it cannot restore
the pulse that once passed
between two hearts -
the connection of
mother and child.
Forever changed,
all hearts beat on,
never the same.
Her broken heart
has reshaped theirs.
Loss goes with them.
Poetry by Melinda K Zarate
Read 21 times
Written on 2026-01-27 at 19:25
Save as a bookmark (requires login) Write a comment (requires login) Send as email (requires login) Print text
