Star Child
©2023 Susan Noyes Anderson
Artwork by KmBerggen, used by permission
You fell to our arms
from star-filled skies,
the dream in our hearts,
the light in our eyes.
So softly you landed,
so sweetly you lay,
and we claimed you forever
that very first day.
We rocked you and held you;
you sang your sweet song.
Our love sheltered you, and
your love made us strong.
We were meant for each other
and your brother, too.
How we cherished the life
the four of us knew.
Why is it some angels
are not meant to stay?
Just a few precious weeks
and then you flew away.
Our hearts were all broken;
our eyes filled with tears.
But the sweet gifts you gave us
will last through the years:
Your soft, downy head
and that first, toothless grin,
the trust in your eyes,
the scent of your skin,
the warmth of your little self
snug in our arms,
the fussing, the mussing –
All these were your charms.
We will hold them for always
and carry them well.
Every story of you
is a story we’ll tell.
We will never let go of
the joy that was ours
or of you, our own angel,
who fell from the stars.
Our love called you to us;
your love made us more.
We are three here on earth,
but our angel makes four.
Please be near us in spirit,
sweet child, light our way;
and we’ll follow your star trail
to heaven one day.
There, forever and always,
together we’ll stay.
∞§∞
If this poem resonates with you, you might also find common ground in my poem, A Mother’s Song.
Star Child was written for a young family who recently lost a baby to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. In my experience, there has been nothing more difficult than losing a child, and to lose one in this way is uniquely devastating. May this simple poem honor families of SIDS and every other family suffering the ongoing sorrow of child loss, no matter the cause.
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Tags: bereavement, child loss, grieving, infant death, infant loss, mourning, SIDS, sudden death