Six years ago I was present at birth of my granddaughter and 2 days later my mother died.
Here is a poem I wrote at the time.
Beginning
Blue and slimy my new granddaughter lies in a pool of blood.
My own child gasps and sweats and sighs.
A feeble cry brings the pink blush.
The tiny fists fight the air.
The first hug
The first tear
The first light
The first fear.
Two days later my mother falls asleep,
Abandons breathing
And leaves us.
The last hug
The last tear
The last light
The last fear.
One in, one out, they say
Seeking to cheer.
It is nature’s way
Nature’s balance.
But there are wrinkles in the new pink face,
Madness in the baby’s cry,
Fear in the helplessness
Despair in the sleeping.
An end
In a beginning