Little Dancing Black Bear

~ My sweet little, dancing black bear, ~

Did you know?

~

I was once broken, battered.

Stranded in a world I’d made,

I felt numb, my faith shattered.

Falling to my knees, I prayed.

~

For an end to loneliness,

a reprieve from constant fear.

I felt trapped by emptiness;

In mirrors I dared not peer.

~

An answer to a prayer,

you appeared -- a gift divine,

still tiny with your guard hair.

I wept, claiming you as mine.

~

A deep healing then began.

Like a balm over a wound,

is the best friend of a man,

helping broken hearts to mend.

~

Even then, I could not know

the timeliness of this gift.

Such depths of love He did show,

His answer to my prayer—swift.

~

When sickness my strength would sap,

and my breath tragedy stole,

you would climb into my lap,

and once more I would feel whole.

~

When tears appeared in my eyes,

you brought me great solace,

and returned joy to my cries

as you gently licked my face.

~

You sat beside me always,

a companion most loyal.

As warm as the sun’s sweet rays,

and ever just as vital.

~

Then that which I feared the most—

within the blink of an eye,

my most precious gift was lost,

and with you my soul did die.

~

No grief has ever compared.

Falling to my knees, I prayed,

“My God, please let him be spared!”

I’ve never felt more betrayed.

~

In time, the grief did subside.

Yet, just as a phantom limb,

the pain of loss never died.

Instead, I felt only numb.

~

Warmth I could no longer feel,

nor did the sun seem to shine.

I thought I would never heal.

I wept, missing what was mine.

~

Again, I was left battered,

lonely and feeling empty.

But my faith was not shattered—

He gave me tranquility.

~

I survived the stormy seas.

He gave me a way to cope.

With a million memories,

I found a future of hope.

~~~~~~~~

You were the most beautiful and precious gift I've ever known.

And that is how you got your name.

I prayed for a friend. He knew better than I did.

What I needed was you. And so we named you ~ Lĭwù.

It means gift (in Mandarin), and that's what you were.

You saved my life, but I could not save yours.

I can only hope (more than anything in this world) that you somehow knew how incredibly special and loved you were.

My Lĭwù, my dancing black bear. I love you. Now and forevermore.

With all the love He has given me,

~ Mom ~

~~~~~~~~

Art & Words ©Lena Folkert 2023, all rights reserved.