Cheryl McDonald

It's true what they say, when a child is born,
a mother's heart is no longer her own.
It runs and skips and giggles and grins,
And crawls in her lap for a kiss on the chin,
But where goes her heart, when that child is gone?
Is it true what they say, that life goes on?

A thousand ninety-five days, and the clock still ticks,
Three whole years, the months - 36.
Does the passage of time mean it should make sense?
Can loss be measured in time increments?
As I yearn for the day when I'll again see my son,
Is it true what they say, that life goes on?

I still breathe in and out and arise every day,
And work, and struggle, and yes, even play.
Things will get better, I've been told many times,
But "different" is the status for those left behind,
Time can't heal all wounds nor break all bonds.
Can it be true what they say, that life goes on?

In the air and wind, I feel your strong embrace,
And your kisses from butterflies that land on my face.
I see your smile in the beams of the sun,
The twinkle of your eyes now shines in Eden,
And I hear your laugh in the lyrics of song,
Is it possibly true, that life goes on?

It's strange to think that your heart still beats,
Inside some stranger, whom I'll never meet.
Does he know he carries a heart of gold,
From my sweet boy, who will never grow old?
So many lives saved by your own,
Yes - it's true what they say, that life goes on.

There is no word, no label, no identifying moniker,
I am not a widow, not an orphan, not childless,
But one child less.
One less open laugh and little boy giggle,
One less challenging tete-a-tete;
One less artful, winking manipulation,
One less word of comfort, one less grateful hug.
One less chance to embrace a daughter;
One less new life to carry your eyes, your chin, your grin, your name,
No one word for the pain, the longing, the brevity
Of a life meant for living; an old soul meant to grow older than mine;
Would there be any one price too high, any sacrifice too great,
For one more moment, one more breath, one more warm touch;
I grasp desperately and sense the closeness -
the ONE just at the fingertips of my heart and mind,
Only to realize again and again and again,
There is no "One" - you are gone and I am - less.