~Poetry~

You Never Said Goodbye

You never said I'm leaving
You never said goodbye
You were gone before I knew it
And only God knew why
A million times I needed you,
A million times I cried
If love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died
In life I loved you dearly
In death I love you still
In my heart you hold a place
That no one could ever fill
It broke my heart to lose you
But you didn't go alone
For part of me went with you,
The day God took you home.

~Author Unknown~

Little One

I know my Mom is crying,
As my Dad sits by her side,
Cause I was their little one
I made them full of pride

I wish I could come to them
And tell them not to cry,
Cause life goes on without me,
And they're going to have to try.

I'm sure they both are wondering
Why God took me away,
But there won't be an answer
As they ask "why" each day.

Life will go on for both of you
And surely there is so much more,
As we all will meet again,
And, it will be at Heaven's door.

Judy Lynn Ryan
Mother of
Gregory James Ryan

The After Loss Credo

I need to talk about my loss
I may often need to tell you what happened-or to ask you why it happened.
Each time I discuss my loss, I am helping myself face the reality of the death of my loved one.

I need to know that you care about me.
I need to feel your touch, your hugs.
I need you just to be "with" me.
(And I need to be with you)
I need to know you believe in me and in my ability to get through my grief in my own way
(And in my own time)

Please don't judge me now-
or think that I'm behaving strangely.
Remember I'm grieving
I may even be in shock
I may feel afraid. I may feel deep rage.
I may even feel guilty.
But above all, I hurt...
I'm experiencing a pain unlike any I've ever felt before.

Don't worry if you think I'm getting better and then suddenly I seem to slip backward.
Grief makes me behave this way at times. And please don't tell me you "know how I feel",
or that it's time for me to get on with my life. (I am probably already saying this to myself)
What I need now is time to grieve and to recover. Most of all, thank you for being my friend. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for caring. Thank you for helping, for understanding.
Thank you for praying for me. And remember, in the days or years ahead, after your loss, when you need me as I have needed you, I will understand. And then I will come and be with you.

Barbara Hills LesStrang