At A Miscarriage Poem by Gert Strydom

(for Janneman and Letitia Enslin after Algernon Charles Swinburne)

You were not meant for this earth,
will never here feel any heat or chill,
back you have been jerked to a better place.
You were not meant,

to after years of pain and conflict live as someone elderly,
to know that even love here can cool down,
to become senile and cripple like some old folks do,
you were not meant.

You will take God by the hand and we did love you,
where through a night of terror we still do trust God.
Your first sight of your innocent eyes will find the face of God,
you will take God by the hand,

without any kind of iniquity be face to face with the source of all love,
and at his time He will resurrect you and give you to your parents as a child,
in an intact world He has better plans for you,

while hatred, pain, misery and sorrow do here devour humanity.
There full of expectation speechless you will cling to your mother
and for any light here you are blinded by death's terrible darkness,
you will take God by the hand,

as an innocent child you will walk with the lion and the lamb,
where a person finds streets of gold, angels and unseen things
and here in lamentation our eyes and cheeks are wet.
As an innocent child you will walk

in wonder full of awe past the loving righteous saviour of humanity,
past the high-priest of Melchizedek, past the lion of the tribe of Judah
and here no man can avoid pain, sorrow and misery

while for a time our emotions about you do overflow
but your parents, your grandma and I want rather to stay
with Michael, with you, that does decent from us,
as an innocent child you will walk…

[Poet's note:"A baby's death" by Algernon Charles Swinburne.]
© Gert Strydom