Letting Go
Poem - I Still Love You
Journey of Hearts 
A Healing Place in CyberSpaceTM
This wonderful poem comes as
a way of explaining the need to be able to more on after losing a loved
one. Many people after the death of a loved one, feel ashamed if they experience
any joy, laughter or happiness. It is as though an inner voice is telling
us that we must be somber and serious, this is the way to show respect
and the proper way to mourn. I know after talking to many who are dying
that they wish their family members to go on and BE HAPPY!
I Still Love You
by Sharon Swinney
A year has passed since you
left us,
And I'm slowly getting it together.
But it's been so hard without
you,
I've often reached the end of
my tether.
But now I find there are some
days,
When you aren't foremost in
my thoughts.
This doesn't mean I love you
less,
Or don't miss you anymore.
It only means that life goes
on,
And I'm getting back on track.
You'll always be in the back
of my mind,
And you can count on that.
The memories you left with me,
Are in my heart to stay.
The love I feel, and the longing,
Could never fade away.
So if my every waking moment,
Is not spent thinking of you.
I know that you will understand,
You know I still love you.
©1995 Sharon
Swinney
About the Author:
Sharon Swinney turned to poetry
as a way to deal with her grief after her daughter died. Mary was only
7 ½ weeks old when she died from a Congential Heart Defect. Sharon
describes this even as "The hardest thing that our family has ever had
to deal with."
She relates her inspiration
for this poem. "I laughed one day and it surprised me. I hadn't laughed
for such a long time. I felt that this meant that I was finally ready to
move on with my life, but I worried Mary may think that I didn't love her
anymore. So I wrote this poem to try to explain it to her. It was a sort
of transition for me. "
Sharon found the poetry very
helpful and was encouraged by others to put her poems together in a book.
She was helped by the SANDS (Stillbirth And Neonatal Death Support, incl.
miscarriage) organization in Australia to get the book published. She has
discovered with her book that, "Mary seems to have been able to reach out
and touch more people since her death, than she could in her life. I think
she would have been pleased."
Sharon's motivation for creating
the book, and for sharing her poems can be summarized in the following
verse:
If only one person gets
comfort from these poems,
Something to show them they
are not alone.
Maybe even something to
help them dull the pain,
Then I'll know, my precious
little Mary,
Did not die in vain.
From
the Heart by Sharon Swinney
A collection of poems written
from a mother's heart, following the death of her young daughter Mary.
For more of Sharon's poems visit her website for Mary at:
A portion of the purchase price
of each book goes to SANDS Qld. to support the work of this self-help support
group comprised of parents who have experienced the death of a baby through
miscarriage, stillbirth, or shortly after birth. SANDS provides immediate
and ongoing support to bereaved parents, families and friends.
SANDS is handling the sales of
this book. The book costs $14AU which includes postage. They have credit
card facilities for Master Card, Visa and Bank card.
If you are interested you can
contact them:
By Mail:
SANDS Queensland Inc.
P.O. Box 49
Royal Brisbane Hospital
Qld Australia
4029
By Phone: 011- 61-7 3252 2865
By Fax: 001-61-7 3252 2931
E-mail: sandsqld@powerup.com.au
Last updated November 14, 1998
The I Still Love You is © 1995 by Sharon
Swinney and use with permission.
The garland is © Angelic
Artistry and is used with permission.
All material, unless otherwise specified, is copyrighted
1997-8 by Journey of Hearts A Healing Place in CyberSpace. We invite you
to share the information on this site with others who may benefit, but
ask that you share from the heart only and not for profit.
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