Sun Kissed Days

Sun Kissed Days

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

An Empty Chair



There's an empty chair
beside me.
There's an empty place that only
you can fill.
Yesterday's memories live
in the attic of my heart.
In a place that only you can reach
and comfort.
I remain with
words you left behind,
love you gently carried,
postcards of places we've been to,
photographs of moments
of a life well lived.
I have drowned in sorrow,
I have lost my way.
I have carried a scar with your name.
Today
I want to dance in the rain,
and celebrate you.
I want to voice my gratitude to the world.
I want to bottle my tears 
and save them for another day.
I want the wind to whisper secrets
in my ear.
Today I will soar and fly,
today I will live,
today I will celebrate you.


This is dedicated to my mom. Last week I wrote a poem for her as well. This week is three years
since she passed away. I think of her every day but more so when her birthday or
anniversary of her passing is here. I miss her and I remember all our special moments. 
Please meet us here, http://dversepoets.com/ where we share our thoughts and our hearts.

97 comments:

  1. Always will miss them, but celebrating their life is the way to go, another great tribute.

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  2. Lovely words dear ~ They are surely live forever in our hearts ~

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    1. Thank you, Grace. They go on through us....

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  3. dancing in the rain and celebrating her...think that's a good place to come to after the grief..i bet she would've liked that much

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    1. It's not often I feel this way..but I just feel a great sense of gratitude for her.

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  4. She would be so happy to know that the joys of her life, of having lived and loved it, was being celebrated by you. She was a very beautiful woman and this is a wonderful tribute by a loving daughter of whom she must be so proud as she watches you from where she is.

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    1. Thank you, Bren. I hope she is watching....

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  5. Ah - very nice. She was a lucky woman sounds like - k.

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    1. Thank you, Karin. She was a lucky woman..my father was in love with her until his dying day.

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  6. This made me think that I should take my photos/paper/scissors and begin a memory book dedicated to the good memories with my mom (postcards/stories/words) and pray for these things to change my heart....lovely poem. The images celebrate life!

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    1. Thank you, Adrienne. I think that's a great idea..it's good to remember the sweet things.

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  7. Beautiful words for a beautiful lady. Wherever she is, I'm sure your mom knows how much you miss her.

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  8. Such sadness. But I love your message at the end: " I want to bottle my tears / and save them for another day." What a lovely tribute.

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    1. Thank you, Stephen. I want to but it doesn't always work that way. ...

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  9. I'm speechless by the absolute beauty and clear devotion to your lovely Mum Ayala - a wonderful tribute and celebration - I'm glad I was allowed to share - deeply honored - hgs Lib

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  10. Lovely tribute. Beautiful words. Sending you strength.

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  11. I want to bottle my tears
    and save them for another day.

    and so you have--your piece speaks to the joy of your love

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  12. smiles...this is a lovely tribute...and know she would want all joy for you and your life a testament to her love...smiles....

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    1. Thank you, Brian. As a mother I know that's what we want..for our kids to be okay. Smiles to you my friend.

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  13. She is watching and she is happy knowing, ayala! A fine tribute to someone dearly missed!

    Hank

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  14. A very dear daughter to write such sweet, heartfelt words to her mother. I have no doubt she knows all that's in your heart and will always know the love and admiration you hold for her.

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  15. It has been 9 years since the passing of my father and your poem reminded me about the post I put up on the anniversary of his passing...went to grab the link to put here and was reminded again of how much I miss him and his soul, as I looked at the picture of him I saw my son reflected and the sadness was lessened...thank you for sharing this very personal piece with us...

    Wander

    Superman's last race
    http://wanderwithoutbeinglost.blogspot.com/2012/04/super-man.html

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    1. Thank you kindly for sharing your poem and your thoughts. I am sorry for your loss. It's a pain that does not go away....

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  16. Ayala, I really think it is wonderful how much love you had for your mom that you still think of her everyday and grieve for her every day after three years. This poem is a beautiful tribute. I think we all have to find our way to work things through and to honor the person we lost. You are honoring your mother in many ways. I have seen other poems about her that keep her memory alive. Hugs.

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    1. Thank you, Mary. Writing about her and my dad has helped me through the pain. I agree it's also a way to honor them as they live on in us.

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  17. I think one of the gifts of poetry is to be able to memorialize those we love who have gone before us. Nicely done.

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  18. After grief and pain, then the memories of happiness come to carry us to that celebration, ayala. Another very beautiful poem for your mother. I'm sure she felt the love in this every day you were together.

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    1. Joy, I hope she felt it. She always said that I favored my dad. I was a daddy's girl....but I loved them both dearly.

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  19. <3 lovely, ayala. just lovely.

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  20. I love this. It is so beautiful and filled with love. Your mom is smiling. I know I would be.

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  21. Lovely tribute to Mom, A...We will always have that bond with our mothers...

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  22. Such a beautiful poem. I believe your mom does know you think of her......and that her spirit is not far from you. Beautifully written. And I LOVE your dog photo! Look at the love in that creature's eyes for you!

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    1. Thank you, Sherry, My dog is sweet and loving :) everyone falls in love with her. :)

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  23. Poetry has the power to immortalize, to shape memory by words... and this, this is a wonderful memorial to a woman whose life and love must live on in your heart.

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    1. Thank you, Sam. It will live on as long as I live.

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  24. This lovely poem HONORS your mother!!!!!

    Glad you have put away tears (for this time)


    Aloha from Honolulu
    Comfort Spiral
    =^..^=
    > < } } ( ° >

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  25. the empty chair -> metaphor for an empty heart

    how luck to have had a mother that you can feel this was about



    fruit essence facial mask

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  26. really a touching piece. Filled with touches of sadness and bright memories. Really nicely done. Thanks for sharing.

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  27. beautiful ayala! i lost my grandmother this year and this poem reminded me that i should probably get on to writing one about her as well! so touching love it

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    1. Thank you, Chazni. So sorry about your grandmother. I lost both of mine long ago. Sad.

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  28. Beautiful. I must say also that I absolutely love the dog photo in your blog header. Love it. It made me smile immediately when I saw it...So nice! :)

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  29. You have me crying young lady!!!! Normally I wold say "Now we'll have none of that..." But today is special, because you are... Very touching and beautiful Ayala.....

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    1. Thank you, John. You are so sweet and kind...I feel honored it touched you.

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  30. Hi Ayala,
    what a beautiful poem, loved it. I think your mother would be very happy with it.

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  31. ≈♥♡≈ Love, the unbreakable bond we will always have with our Mother ~ lovely tribute Ayala.

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  32. You continue to be one of the most beautiful souls I know, Ayala.

    That you celebrate her with such tender words makes my heart dance in the rain too. She dances with you always even tho you are temporarily on different planes.

    xooxxo

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    1. I love that, Jannie. Thank you for that. Xoxo

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  33. Ayala, a beautiful tribute to your mom. I share the same month with you. My mom died in August, it has been 5 years now for me. I think about her all the time, even in the smallest ways.

    Pamela

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    1. Sorry about your loss, Pamla. Small things are great reminders and as hard as it seems, they are also a blessing.

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  34. How beautiful. You know- death is so strange - you know it's coming, you know it happens, but nothing prepares you for those feelings. Be assured that your mother- on reading this , would be immensely proud I'm sure. There is no escaping the heartfelt and honest emotion in this. Love.

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    1. Stu, you put it well... It's strange and nothing prepares you for it. I appreciate your thoughts here.

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  35. Just over a year since my mom passed away. They're never gone as long as we remember them.

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    1. I am so sorry for your loss. Yes, they are not gone as long as we love and remember them.

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  36. A wonderful tribute to your mother, Ayala.

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  37. oh, yes, we must celebrate their lives! What a beautiful poem and an even more beautiful mother.

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  38. Much better to bottle your tears & celebrate her life.

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    1. Thank you my love. You've been there to share the journey and I a grateful for that. I love you !

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  39. As a mother, I would much rather know that my beloved daughter was remembering me by living her life to the full. I'm glad you danced to remember your mama.

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  40. Lovely tribute to a loving mum from a great daughter. You shine, Ayala.
    I love it!
    D.

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  41. With your poem you have given tribute to the memory of your mother. Your words help her live on. My mother did in 2007 and my father last year. I miss them so much and often write poetry from my memories of them.

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    1. Thank you, Susie. I am so sorry for your loss. I understand your pain. I lost both my parents as well in 2008 and 2009 and I miss them terribly. Hugs.

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  42. just thought i'd stop by and wish you a lovely weekend ayala

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    1. Thank you, Claudia. Wishing you the same :)

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    2. This is a beautiful tribute and I like the movement forward in your grief from the beginning to the end.

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  43. I love the way you carry and share both the love and the pain, the beauty and imperfections. The empty chair and whispering wind... beautiful!

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  44. I feel for you, and like the tenderness of this.

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  45. I lost my Mom this year, she lived long, and loved all. What you said in your poem is so true for me. I miss her everyday, sometimes I think I cannot bare the loss, her gentle voice, her kindness. Thank you.

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    1. Sorry about your loss Annell. I walked many days feeling so sad and bruised...and sometimes I think the pain will never go away....Hugs to you.

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  46. I forget where I heard it but someone said grief isn't linear, so true. However, you can still celebrate a life and lessons even with the empty chair.

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  47. True..and yes...thank you, Lauren.

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