Forever Goodbye
Death in a family can cause a family to fracture completely
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,fl_progressive,q_auto,w_1024/659f51b1ee711f001da24c77.png)
A pair of delicate baby shoes,
Bronzed and set askew, a name
Chiseled on a nameplate.
Down the middle, a baby portrait
Enjoys its day.
Five years ago,
Give or take,
He refused to accept it.
I pleaded that it belonged him,
Just him. A relic of the past.
Knowing his stance, I watched the shoes
Languish in that old box destined for trash.
Measurable hate tucked inside,
Natural and unnatural,
Outweighed logic and love.
Predictable, his stubborn opinion;
Quietly aggressive, his attitude,
Ripping our family apart.
Suddenly, he deserted us-
Turning on brother and sister,
Unable to mend the broken fence.
Voiceless, powerless-
We succumbed.
Xenophobic toward his own blood,
Yenning toward isolation, he rides
Zephyrs of self-afflicted loneliness.
About the Creator
Barb Dukeman
An English teacher by trade, I’ve spent 32+ years in the classroom, instilling a love of literature (and a tolerance of writing) in my students. I started reading at the age of three and started writing at 13 with a poem about green socks.
Enjoyed the story? Support the Creator.
Subscribe for free to receive all their stories in your feed. You could also pledge your support or give them a one-off tip, letting them know you appreciate their work.
Comments (1)
That is heartbreaking, but honest and must be confronted, just like just did!