Poem for Parents Grieving the Loss of a Child

A poem I wrote as a young man after my five-year-old cousin passed, which felt as if God was speaking through me. The parents said it was a saving grace.

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Photo by Bob Olson

When I was a young man, my five-year-old cousin, Matthew, was hit by a car and died. He was a handsome little guy and sweet as honey. I rushed to the hospital when I got the news of the accident.

Several family members showed up at the hospital. We waited with Matthew’s parents (my cousins), supporting them. The doctor arrived and delivered the heartbreaking news that Matthew had passed. He asked if anyone in the waiting room wanted to see Matthew's body. I think everyone was in shock.

For some unknown reason, I went in with Matthew's parents. I don't know why I did it, or why my parents didn't stop me. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time, so I just went. It wasn’t until I was in the room with Matthew’s body that I realized it was just his parents and me. Fortunately, we were a close family, and they seemed to appreciate my presence.

Seeing the lifeless body of a five-year-old boy is a visual that has never left my memory. Thus, that evening, I was unable to sleep from worrying about Matthew's parents. I couldn’t imagine how they might articulate such an unfathomable loss.

After tossing and turning for hours, I eventually got out of bed at two o'clock in the morning and wrote a poem. I wrote it from Matthew’s mother’s voice, hoping God might give me the words that were sure to be eluding her. This is the poem that flowed out of me. Once I’d written it down, I fell fast asleep.

Matthew's mother later told me the poem was her saving grace during the coming days and weeks. They requested I read it at Matthew's memorial service, which was difficult to perform with my voice cracking with emotion, but it was an honor to do it in Matthew’s memory. In my view, it was God speaking through me, as He does through all of us from time to time.

For all of you who have lost children, or anyone dealing with grief, I share this with deep compassion.

With love and heartfelt sympathy for your loss,
Bob

In Memory of Matthew 

by Bob Olson

Many happy times we shared,
Your smile will never leave me.
That smirk of love that showed you cared,
Was there whenever need be.

You brought to me five gifted years,
And now I long to hold you. 
I think of you and drown in tears,
Because I know I told you…

"Please be careful, please go slow,
Do NOT run in the street."
But you so young, how could you know,
The danger you would meet.

They say don’t cry, be brave, be strong,
But they don’t know my sorrow.
Life seems unfair, so mean, so wrong,
How will I face tomorrow?

For you, my son, filled every day,
With sunshine, love, and kindness.
Those memories now pave my way,
Through the shadows of my blindness.

You know that I am grateful,
God blessed my life with thee;
And now that you are ready,
You shall spend the rest with He.

I know it’s right that you so nice
Should rise through heaven’s gate,
And even if you had looked twice,
There’s no escaping God’s planned fate.

I understand you’re with Him now,
And joy is yours forever.
He sent us you to teach us how
To take life lightly never.

And now I’ve learned,
And you shall see,
How all you taught
Will better me.

As you would want, life will go on,
But not without your spirit.
With you in mind, I’ll rise each dawn,
With a smile like you would wear it.

And one day too will I be blessed,
To rejoice with God as you do.
And on that day my prayers will rest,
To rejoin with you, my Matthew.

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If you know someone who might benefit from this article/poem, please share. I would also love to hear from you in the comments section. xo, Bob

Bob Olson is the host of Afterlife TV, author of two books, Answers About The Afterlife and The Magic Mala, and creator of the top directory of psychics and mediums, BestPsychicDirectory.com. His newest venture is Bob Olson Connect, where you can read Bob’s articles before they become books.

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