My child’s name lays on my lap.
What I thought I knew.
My life has slipped through my fingers.

Unexplained infertili
ty. Long story. Hear me out.

Rise and fall the waves of grief.
Storm and calm reshape.
The soul of mother endures.

With each wave I drift further,
from the hope of meeting you.

Heartsore and isolated.
Bitterness creeps in.
To me, a childless mother.

Will grief ever leave this place?
Petals fall, seasons replace.

My eyes are falling blossoms.
To you, as sweet gift.
The wind blows them, my darling

My lone heart cradles your names.
Safe in a cocoon of love.

Oxymoron life
Gaps become spaces of hope.
And hot tears make joy blossom.

Eve, Cath, Nina, Lucy, Margaret, Mary and Helga of the Gateway Women's Writers Group

Inspired by Renga, a traditional Japanese collaborative poetry form.

Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash