A Cruel Reminder Poem by Raj Dronamraju

When February arrives, it catches us unprepared for mourning
Just like tornado season comes upon Kansas and Oklahoma each year
We know the date which brings us pain
And internally try to deal with it
However, imagination is a cruel, untamable beast
That cannot be saddled or caged or controlled by a loving heart or caring mind

"He would have been two" you say
I expect something like this but it still slaps and stings like cold water in the face
You expect nothing from me
I was all blank face and stoic strength when it happened
And said "Well, it's just a lump of tissue to me"
Because I thought of it not yet as a human being
However when I saw the body
That at six months was remarkably fully formed
I was no longer so sure

This boy unnamed, unclaimed, and not spoken of
Expelled too early into this harsh world
Still born, I know he still lives every time I see that you are quiet and sad