A Star For Ben
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Loss breathes its
mist
On me
Heavy with tears
Salted in pain’s brine
A taste
accilimated
But not today
Today they lie in
bitter harvest
Upon eyes and ears
Under tongues
Longing to turn
back the clock
To a time before
When Christmas lay
around the corner
And those gifts
Already wrapped
And hidden
Could be the
reality
For you
We bought a star
And placed it just
so
Upon the horizon
Of the early
night’s sky
So that each
evening
You can look upon
each other
With light.
12/22/12
For Ben. A group of us collected money to pay for funeral expenses for Ben Wheeler of Newtown. We also bought a star for Ben's parents. I hope that all these families will be able to find peace and light.
copyright/all rights reserved Audrey Howitt 2012
That last stanza is a lovely gift ~
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing and wishing you Blessed Christmas ~
Thank you Grace--to you as well!
Deletethis brought tears to my eyes...i love that you did this and our prayers and thoughts are with them...
ReplyDeleteI have a blogger friend who is just a force to be reckoned with and she organized it all. So I bow down to her--
Deletei do really like that last one...you know i bought my wife a star once...named it after her so she would have her place in the heavens...smiles...before that carries the heaviness that is this holiday season in light of all the pain around the world...
ReplyDeleteHi Brian, Thank you for stopping by and reading this one---Happy holidays to you!
DeleteWords of sadness beautifully written. The last stanza is indeed a lovely gift.
ReplyDeleteAnna
Thank you so much Anna! I so appreciate your words--
DeleteAwww... deeply moving. When we lost Chloe's mom, she was still trying to understand what it all meant and we would see a bright star in the sky that we hadn't seen before and, I told her that was probably her mom letting us know that she was in Heaven now and looking down on us from there. So, this is heartfelt for all the families of Newtown and for others grieving their loss too.
ReplyDeleteVery sad but, truly beautiful poetry Audrey.
Thank you Bren--death is such a sad thing--all the more so for these families---
DeleteOh, Audrey, this is so very touching. How sad it must be for his family (and the other families) to have lost their son at such a tender age; but what a special gesture to pay for his funeral and to buy a star. Your heart is as bright as the star! Merry Christmas, Audrey.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you as well Mary!! And thank you!
DeleteOh sweet Audrey, how touching this poem is. Hugs to you and to all who are helping make this world better one word or story at a time xx
ReplyDeleteThis is so sad and beautiful. And you've done a beautiful thing for Ben and his family.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Ah. So sad. Beautiful reflection. Too poignant. k.
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing this, Audrey. i'm sorry for your loss. my heart, as so many millions of others, goes out to everyone affected by the horrific tragedy in Newtown.
ReplyDeletemay you find some comfort in your holidays, as well.
♥
It's sad and such a touching scene! Noble of you to have pooled together all of your resources! It would mean a lot to the family!
ReplyDeleteHank
touching poem. I loved how you made it endearingly personal. Very effective and a great gesture as well. Thanks
ReplyDeleteSweet, kind poem. good read, kind act
ReplyDeleteMay Ben's presence always be a star for those who loved im, and help them heal. You make the true depth and pain if this loss very real here.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is a gift. The purpose and intent, good and right. Generosity of spirit shines.
ReplyDeleteawh... so sad - and beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteit's never easy to deal with loss... you built a bridge - that's really nice.
all the best!
..i believe.. the souls of the dead find eternal union with the stars above... and those who shine brighter at night are the ones most remembered... a sad and heart rending piece...
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and family...
smiles...
Oh, Audrey--I'm another one who cried when I read this. I can't imagine the pain those families are experiencing, even made more acute in this season of celebration. Thank you for this one...and touching tribute. Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteAudrey, your poem is very moving, but even more so - and inspiring - is that you raised money for Ben's funeral and bought him a star. Wow. In the midst of what is so bleak and horrifying, it is the goodness of people like you that reminds us the majority of people are kind. Bless you.
ReplyDeleteAh such beautiful words from such pain :)
ReplyDeleteI love this: "Loss breathes its mist On me"
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful thing to do, Audrey.
thank you.. this is such a touching tribute and a wonderful gift..
ReplyDeleteSo sad, and so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI missed this one earlier but I just want to say that this is extraordinarily beautiful. I think I got some healing out of the fundraising. Your poem is just awesome because it captures so much of what I felt. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteVery lovely, Audrey. Goodness and light is the best weapon against darkness.
ReplyDeletewell done, well said