Written Right

Sometimes the best way to help families and friends share both happy and sad  emotions is through the written word. Here’s a poem written by Written Right to help a family.

Seven Years Ago

I watched a Facebook memory today
They often just pop up
It took me seven years back,
With you and your toy pup.

Seven years ago today,
You decided you could walk
It was you, me and Nana,
In the playroom near the chalk!

We were VERY proud ,
I hope somehow you knew it,
We’d waited a longtime for steps
Rather than a ‘shuffle as you sit’.

Fast forward now to more recent times,
These memories aren’t quite the same
Because I remeber all too easily,
The day the bad news came.

Eight months ago today,
My world changed for ever,
I took you to the doctors,
You weren’t feeling very clever.

The GP who we saw,
Was calm but couldn’t fix it
“Go and check at the hospital” he said,
It’s better than to risk it

That night at the hospital,
We got the worst news we ever could,
Within a few quick minutes they said,
“Leukaemia”, something wrong with your blood.

You weren’t in the room right then,
They’d taken me to the side,
You were happily playing games,
Whilst Nana and I dried our eyes

Seven months ago today,
After you’d fought so hard all month,
You were doing so very well,
There was no more leukaemia in your blood!

We didn’t get that news,
Until a few months later on,
So we never got to celebrate,
That leukaemia had gone.

Instead that very same day,
Came some devastating news,
You’re little body gave up,
Whilst you were in the operating theatre having a snooze.

The medication had been too harsh,
You’d fought a nasty infection too,
But there were no warning signs,
That it was all too much for you.

Here one moment, gone the next,
You never did stay still!
You were now at peaceful rest,
No longer feeling ill.

How has life has been since then?
I don’t know where to start,
All that I can say is,
I have a broken heart

We try to be all positive,
To be as brave as you,
You touched so many people,
Who will never forget you.

So it’s nice to see this time hop,
Pop up and see you up near,
Because it’s often this part of the month,
When I’ve faced head on a fear.

Be it fear of what could happen,
Now that you could walk,
To the fear of making sense,
Of all the doctors’ talk.

Then there’s fear of life after,
Now we can’t hold you near,
And worries about the future,
For others we hold so dear.

Two months ago today,
People started to close their doors,
Sadly coronavirus means,
Being with people is safe no more.

In some strange way I’m glad
That you don’t have to live through this,
Because it’s really not easy,
Not seeing those who we miss.

COVID takes no prisoners,
Ironically that’s what lockdown for you would mean,
In isolation tucked away,
Where we could keep everything extra clean.

So today is a funny day,
Only 7 months since you passed,
So much since has happened,
But the old memories will always last.

It doesn’t feel much easier yet,
To remember with dry eyes.
And why you can’t be here still,
I’ll never understand why.

But treasured memories I do have,
To remind me of your mischief and your cheer.
And to these I cling on fondly,
Now I can’t hold you near.