I Wish I Knew You Better
Goodbye, Uncle
.I wish I knew you better
My own uncle
My mother's flesh and blood
And mine, too, I suppose
But you've always been far
Far from sight, far from reach,
Never too far from mind, I must say.
I hear stories about you
Childhood stories that mum tells me
About your mischief
About your early exit from the family nucleus
How you set up your own successes
Build your own little life
How you're always elusive evasive
But never unkind.
How you'd shower me and my sister
With chocolates and gifts
Things we never asked for
And yet you gave
For you had a heart of gold.
One that not many understood
I see a lot of me in you
A kind person with strict boundaries
A kind, misunderstood person
A creative mind
A go-getter
But never one to forget family
You would touch base with everyone
When it was needed
But never invade in another's life or privacy
You were far
But now that you're gone
You're even further away from reach.
I'm sorry you had to go so soon
I'm sorry I didn't try to get to know you better
I'm sorry I can't be there
I'm sorry I didn't shed as many tears
When I heard of your passing
Because somewhere deep down
All I could think of was how unfair it was
That I didn't get to know you better
That I didn't know you enough
To wail in sorrow
My heart is filled with misery
I grieve quietly
For you will be missed, dear Uncle.
By many.
Some near, but many far.
About the Creator
Manisha Dhalani
Content writer and marketer helping solopreneurs achieve organic growth. Loves reading, eating cake, and having insightful conversations.
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Comments (21)
One of the most emotional poem I've ever read is about the relatives we have in life. There is one type of person who holds a special place in our hearts, like your uncle. I'm sorry that you miss him so much, but he will always be in your heart. I also have such a good person in my life; he is my uncle too. He is such a kind person, like your uncle. We are all glad to have such a great person in our lives.
Exquisitely written and loved it!!!💕❤️❤️ Congratulations on Top Story too!!!
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Appreciate your work.
A beautiful tribute to a very interesting man. I'm sure he "saw" you and it meant the world to him. Congratulations on your Top Story, too.
Thank you for sharing such a heartfelt piece.💝 And congrats on your top story🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Oh, I'm sorry for your loss of your uncle. I liked how you said "But never invade in another's life or privacy." He sounds like he was a kind and loving man. Congrats on the TS, Manisha!
I'm sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing this piece with us. I can feel how hurt you are.
Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
I can totally relate I've been here before but I promise you it gets better ❤️
Awesome writing, keep it up!
Congratulations on TS. That said, sorry for your loss; I can relate what you're feeling. Before I married (at age 19) my only brother was drafted and sent to Nam. After the war, he settled in VA so we never much of him; he preferred it that way. On a rare occasion, he'd travel to NY to visit his pre-war friends (some of which died in Nam) and our family. One day, my older son, he was 13 at the time, saw my brother in the park and walked over to say hello. He was crushed because my brother didn't recognize him. I explained what happened and my son understood, but it was still a sad day. Here we are 30 years after my brother died and my son still talks about his uncle he never go to know.
I offer my condolences. Lovely writing for a sad loss.
A difficult poem to write (and read) and an even more difficult time for you and your family. Sending you every solace 🌻🌼🌻 *And keep writing if it helps*
It is always hard when those family ties remain untied and we lose the ones we should have held close. Selah.
I'm sorry for your loss. You've written something that I think most people can, in some sense, relate to. Wishing you knew someone better is such a hard feeling to manage. Congrats on the Top Story though!
Beautifully written. I've been feeling this way too, in the face of grief, that we miss out on chances we didn't realize we had or even think about, until it's gone. I'm so sorry for your loss ❤️
I'm sorry - always stings to realise we have missed our chance for something more.
May he rest in peace
I'm so sorry for your loss Manisha 🥺 Sending you lots of love and hugs ❤️
I can feel the deep bond you share with your uncle .Each word resonates with geniune affection... Truly touching poem ..