My auntie Francesca,
Grammy carried you, 9 months,
You were born,
They wouldn’t let her see you,
Hours later you were gone,
Was it Thalidomide? A 1960s child,
A hole in our family we never speak of,
Shaping our lives in ways we don’t fully understand,
Years of depression,
Stiff upper lip,
A good friend let us know, after she had past,
My grandmother never let you out of her mind
This is so powerful, hinting at so many layers of history, of the known and the unknown, of the way our loved ones still have secrets from us.
Deep family ties run though all of your poems. Quite some niche you’ve got there for a poetry marathon.
This one is particularly touching. There is depth in its simplicity.
Beautiful honesty in this poem, it was an honor to read, thank you!