Hi everyone. I hope you’re all well.

This past week has been a sad one for me. On the 31st of May, my lovely, beautiful Nanna passed away. I’ve spoken around this site before about how much she meant to me, but suffice it to say that since our parents passed some 15 years ago, she has been more of a second mother to my siblings and me than a grandmother; we would all be completely and hopelessly lost without her. What follows is a poem inspired by a promise she made at my mother’s hospital bedside.

The Promise

Without thought, you made a promise,
And no promise was better kept.
You held it deep within your heart
As silently we wept.

Then the days moved ever onward,
And as you held us in your care,
You never, for even a moment,
Let us forget that you were there.

As the days rolled by and turned to months,
And our grief became worn in,
You embraced us all more fervently,
Your promise, glowing from within.

And as in time, our tears all dried,
And our lives began anew,
We knew that we would be all right,
Because we still had you.

And sometimes, we forgot, you know,
That you were grieving too,
And as tough as losing a mother was,
What must it have been like for you?

A child you’d brought into the world,
And loved with your whole heart,
was taken ill so suddenly,
And forced then to depart.

But still, you always held us up,
As you did with everyone,
And when life saw fit to churn your world,
You smiled and trudged right on.

And as those long months turned to years –
So many there’ve been now –
Your promise never wavered once,
You stood solidly by your vow

And now, at your own journeys end,
I want to say thank you!
You promised that you’d look after us,
And to that promise, you were true.

So easy on your way you go,
At peace and out of pain.
Just know you will be sorely missed,
Until perhaps we meet again.

As always, thanks for reading.

Until next time,

George

© 2023 GLT

Categories: Creative Writing, Poetry

Tags: death, family, Grandmother, grief, grieving, loss, mother, Nanna, promise