Sunday, July 26, 2015

This Poem is a Big Red Heart




This poem is a six year old boy 
whose dad and dog both died.
This poem is a crayon.
This poem is a big red heart.

This poem is a sweet and valiant little boy,
who has known tears, but who loves to smile.
This poem gets knocked down, and
bounces back up again.
Like the boomerang, it keeps coming back,
because it has known death, so it cherishes life.
This poem is a six year old boy 
whose dad and dog both died.

This poem is a crayon held in a grubby fist
by an intent little boy 
who wants a picture of his pain.
This poem can draw a stick figure dad 
with a big smile, and open arms,
and a devoted droopy-eyed dog, 
with floppy ears and an old soul. 
This poem is a crayon.

This poem is a gigantic wobbly red heart
with a dog inside, along with  the words
"Papa and Phoenix are fishin' in hevven".
This poem squeezes the heart
of his mother, who lost her mate,
then, one year later, held the body 
of his old fishing pal as he went to sleep 
for the last time.
This poem has lost too many loves,
but keeps on smiling, loving and moving forward,
because of a small boy made almost entirely
out of hope and trust and sweetness and love.
This poem is a large red heart.

*for Real Toads' Play It Again, Toads, where I was happy to pick Hannah's wonderful Boomerang Poem form, which makes writing a poem easy, given a few key ingredients.

* also posted for the Poetry Pantry at Poets United


34 comments:

  1. Oh my word...Sherry...tears, again...only tears to suffice to say how touching this poem is. Thank you. ♥

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  2. Sherry this poem has opened places in my heart closed by grief to glimpse the memories and learn from that sweet boy with the crayon! Tears flowing my friend! Thank you...

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  3. Beautiful, sad, and touching.
    This poem is a keeper!

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  4. This is so touching! Its has such deep emotions.I can almost picture the small boy holding the crayon..Beautifully written.

    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

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  5. wow - this is a fine tribute / story about a boy. despite of the pain, he smiles and that he always think of his departed loved ones.

    the three main stanzas work well, Sherry. I loved how you painted the boy's development

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  6. This poem is heartbreaking. Yet I am glad the little boy has you in his life to recognize his pain and his joy. Beautiful poem Sherry. I imagine you're referring to the little boy you care for.

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  7. A beautifully poignant and touching piece, Sherry, rendered in such a compelling way. A lovely bit of writing.

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  8. Oh, Sherry, this is so touching. What a perfect vehicle the boomerang is to express all this emotion.

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  9. Your poem tugged at my heart. Its a sad sweet write

    Thanks for dropping in at my Sunday Lime today

    Much love...

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  10. Crayon hearts might be the most beautiful, eh?

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  11. Now you are to blame when people see me now and say "Have you been crying?" Grief is not always easily shared but you have certainly done it here Sherry.

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  12. That "gigantic wobbly red heart" squeezes the soul until it makes it cry... The poem as a whole serves as a reminder: there is always something to hold on to, when we think that there is nothing left. ♥

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  13. Wow.. love how you wove the crayon and the heart and the "Hevven" together... beautiful.

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  14. Well, this got me right in the feels, Sherry!! Tears for sure. Beautifully written :)

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  15. This poem reminds me of Sebastian and hurts my heart~ It is beautifully done, Sherry~ It reminds us how we all are wobbly , as the poetry of life writes itself~

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  16. This poem squeezes my heart too. It's so poignant and beautiful Sherry.

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  17. Oh Sherry the lines squeeze my heart...tears...

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  18. This poem certainly is a large red heart! Yours, my friend - and I Iove its beating expressed in such enthralling, moving poetry.

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  19. You gotta know I love this poem. The form, like you say, makes it easy and all brand new at the same time. Wonderful work Sherry,

    Elizabeth

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  20. Long may this poem and poet keep smiling..for in the words will come joy to that lost little boy

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  21. Sherry a very touching poem! I loved it reading it through my tears...so sweet!

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  22. This poem has lost too many loves,
    but keeps on smiling, loving and moving forward...

    These words really touched me, Sherry, and moved me to tears.

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  23. Wow. So did you know this little boy. There is a heaviness that comes with each knocking down. Today I am dealing with the death of a student. He drowned in the lake yesterday afternoon, goffing around with friends. Perhaps I need a crayon to draw my way through this. All too real, you know.

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  24. This poem will stay with me for a long, long time. I can't express in words how touching it is especially the lines "this poem has lost too many loves,
    but keeps on smiling, loving and moving forward..."

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  25. A beautiful poem about love and loss, Sherry. I dare say it is resonating in many hearts today...

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  26. That boy and the crayon are the heroes arent they? Beauty wrapped i sorrow/ sorrow wrapped in beauty and tears...

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  27. Such hope in those crayons of yours Sherry--beautifully penned!

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  28. Wow, Sherry....speechless here. This is stunning.

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  29. You touched me in the heart Sherry ~ More than the form, the message is moving ~

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  30. Yes, this went right to my heart. I seem to be tearful these days. I have so much to be thankful for..I mix tears with smiles.

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  31. I started highlighting my favorite part and it was practically the whole poem. There is something about this form that just squeezes words in such a way to create so much emotion... Thank you for sharing these tender words...

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