By: Joy Toro
The context of this poem is capturing the mother who is imagining herself the day of her son’s funeral – a torment and a necessary psychological preparation.
The day has come
I had hoped to not see
Dressed in sadness
Black lace hides my weary eyes
I remember you
In this very house
Full of light
Always the happy child
Not so long ago
Though my body shows otherwise
Recent memories
Not so bright
So many restless nights
Will you be coming home?
In jail or in the street?
My sleep will be light until I know you’re alright
We had many dreams
We did all the right things
What darkness were you hiding?
What caused you to hurt?
I’ve mourned you for so long
My ache turned dull
The laughing child, I knew
Lost long before today
You drank your pain away
To know relief
However brief
I say good-bye
I sigh
I cry
I now know relief, too
Today, I do not worry
Though no longer here
I know where you are
Bio: Joy Toro
I’ve loved writing, words, and language for as long as I can remember. After college, most of my writing was work-related, which didn’t fulfill the creative writing itch.
After some time, via a connection at Well of Mercy, a wonderful retreat area outside of Charlotte, NC, I was in touch with a writing coach who helped me see writing in a new light. This gift of a new perception helped me get away from perfectionist tendencies, which were also holding me back.
Now I write with a new spirit. One project is a story of my father’s life based on several years of interviews with him.
I also enjoy poetry-that the words can be brief, poignant-there’s a freeness there. In addition to these projects, I like doing travel and restaurant reviews for different websites.
Nature, especially walking in the forest, re-energizes me. I have a passion for the environment, animals, and education and am looking into ways to bring certain educational and environmental organizations together to benefit current and future generations.
Themes in my writing usually are around nature, aging, and the impact of substance abuse on families.
Writing, and recovery heals the heart.
There are individuals and families that need to know they are not alone. If you have a story of healing from addictions, consider a guest post today.
