Excerpts From A Mother Grieving Poem by Francie Lynch

I never knew him to do wrong.
He left me here last Saturday week;
I never saw him again.
A terrible shock.
God was cruel to me.
Words cannot express... my heart is torn.
I have the others.
God spare them to me.
He was the loveliest of all.

My heart breaks day in and day out;
I am just now living for when I will join him.

He took a pain,
In the head;
We don't know
What happened -
They didn't,
Until they got the blood test back,
From Dublin.

He went to hospital;
The next day the baby was born.
At twelve o'clockthere was a crowd,
Neighbours waiting on the news.

They did all in their power.

He was dying.
Words that will ring in my ears...

It was the saddest... most respected
Funeral,
The teachers and children formed
A Guard;
A hundred met him at the Creamery Cross;
Carried the little coffin up the steps
And into the chapel.
Six school pals carried him,
From the chapel,
And left him to rest.

He'll never go off this earth
Without first coming to see me
("Mary, at two o'clock in the morning he came up the hall,
And rapped on the room door")
I do hope and pray
I'm not keeping him
From Heaven.

I wanted to write you to give you a surprise...
It was little thought it would be this sad news.

Gerry is the baby's name.
He is the image of Michael.

My heart is torn.
Icould be washed in tears.