Parental Memories Poem by Kent Krauss

Has it been 51 years that she's been gone from my life, taken too soon?
After having given me the blessing of her loving, caring ways, been a boon
To so many others, including me, in spite of the health concerns she had
From youth, in spite of which she had done well in school, not becoming sad
But using her talents to bring joy to those around her, until the day she
Met this bright, brilliant, mechanically-inclined vet, and saw she could be
A dedicated wife and maybe a mother to a child to whom she might impart
Her loving, faith-led ways, teaching her offspring to have a similar heart
For service to others, but, sadly she wasn't able to bear a child of her own
And because of her age and her husband's, adoption was a seed left sown
Only in her hopes, until that day she got the call that there was a boy
Whose mother couldn't keep him, and who needed a home, such joy
Ran through her heart, and as she shared the news with her husband
He, too, could hardly believe it, so they had a joyful dinner, hand in hand
At the prospect of this little child that could be theirs, if the Lord allowed
So they waited to hear more, and, yes, it was to be, as they cheered aloud
Knowing they would be blessed with the small bundle they had sought
For so long, though the child was sick because he was premature, fraught
With health concerns, not gaining weight, causing them grave concern
To the point of so much stress that the new father took a health turn
Toward an ulcer because he couldn't lose his son after so short a time
When he had so much to teach, to show, many games of baseball to play
And so many other events to attend with his boy, so much to say
To impart his vast years of wisdom that might make his life of import
But his son did recover, gained weight and did, eventually enjoy to sort
Nuts, bolts, screws in his father's shop, which brought joy to his heart
That he so enjoyed this young boy's presence, he gave from the start
All the love to him, taking him to work to plow through comics until none
Was left that his son hadn't gotten to read, seeing the incredible fun
His son was having with him, that he couldn't wait to share with his wife
So they headed home, only to find she was having the spell of her life
With shortness of breath and finding it hard to catch what air she could
But the episode seemed to pass quickly as it had come and they would
Forget about it, until that night, as they laid in bed, when she gave a gasp
And fell still, to cries of disbelief, the call to the doctor, his voice a rasp
As the doctor, unbelieving, said that she'd been fine at the last check
But the valves of her heart had malfunctioned, maybe a clot in the neck
So this grieving father was left to raise their son alone, to do his best
To be mother and father, which he did, as he embraced this serious test
Of his faith and character, in spite of his wife's unsupportive family
Who were trying to tell him to give up his son to an aunt who really
Had a better situation in which to raise the boy, as they had a small farm
Where the boy could help his uncle do all the needed work, lend an arm
To the tasks that had to be done, but then the father had to shout
That he'd just lost his wife and now was supposed to give a son out
Of his arms to satisfy his wife's sister, which was NOT going to happen
And the boy left with his father, back to their now sadly quiet home
With an unforeseeable future that may happen when a child has to roam
This earth without two parents, though the father was more determined
That he was going to do the best he could, by God's grace, with the wind
Of God's sails to propel them forward through this life through turmoil
And he did this, raising his son as a decent person, though he did roil
His dear father at numerous points, the older man did know of the love
For him that his son did feel, though not often spoken, as from above


© Kent Krauss, a month ago