The Boy in You
©2018 Susan Noyes Anderson
image by Noelle Pim on Unsplash
The boy in you lives on in me.
I hold close every memory
of soft blue eyes and thoughtful gaze
and all your cute, endearing ways.
I love the way you watched the world,
your curiosity unfurled.
Nothing of note escaped your eye;
you owned the earth and sea and sky.
A friendly world lay at your feet,
and oh, you found the living sweet.
So many favorite things to name,
so many joys for you to claim.
A HeMan sword stuck down your back,
a slew of Hot Wheels in a pack.
Star Wars and scooters, Lego sets,
fast bikes and big wheels, balls and nets.
And every sport made just for you,
a stellar athlete, through and through.
So smart, so agile, and so quick
that you were any team’s first pick.
And yet, the thing I loved the best
was how you put me to the test
responding to your starlit mind…
each thought so fresh and unconfined.
A clever, lively wit was yours.
That humor opened many doors
to fun and friends; and yet, it’s true,
there was another part of you.
A quiet, gentle part – and shy.
You were a soulful little guy.
Intense and private, soft and strong,
the singer of a layered song.
How I adored that melody!
The pleasure of your company
meant more than mere words could define,
and I thank God that you were mine.
The boy in you lives on in me.
I hold close every memory.
If this poem resonates with you, you might also want to read Notes on Grief: The Second Year. For more of my poems on death, loss and grieving, click here.
Tags: death, grieving, loss of a child, memories, mourning a child, remembering a lost child
