Is There A Greater Fear? Poem by Lynn W. Petty
Is There A Greater Fear?
Is there a greater fear than one's own child
Preceding him in death?
Leaving the church, I thought about the service,
Its hymns, homilies and effusions, written
Honoring the deceased; the deep tone of the ringing
Bell announcing the departure of the deceased's soul;
The high mass making straight his way to the gates of heaven.
All very ceremonial, all very symbolical, all very liturgical.
When have the results been satisfactory
To mind, heart, soul or sense of the parents?
What alleviation for their sorrows, their tears?
What recriminations? What self-reprovals
Must have flooded their minds haunting their inner life?
Can there be a deeper grief than the grief that cannot speak?
With utter depression of soul, they slowly left behind
The coffin wherein lay silent their deepest hope.
What lessons are to be learned from this young
Person's passing?
Unable to answer these ponderous questions,
The lines from an old poem, once read, came:
'God wills it so, and so it is, to death we're all resigned.
May he not be happier still than those he left behind? '
By: Lynn W. Petty
DAMN, God must be punishing me! or P H is! ! i see that somehow i sent you the wrong poem comment. the one below was sent earlier today to brian johnston, to his poem Just Mosquitos [sic] and Squirrels. sorry for the slip up. now to find the one FOR YOU and your poem. bri :)
Which Is He? Squirrel Or Mosquito? ? I'd guess, from this, he's a little squirrely.**** But please don't think i'm being too surly. I'm just trying to state a fact, most surely. [please don't hit me; you look quite burly] And there may be some mosquito in him, 'cause...though in his photo he is not slim... i can picture him hovering and looking grim, about to (from me) some red blood cells trim. bri :) **** (2nd definition) squirrelly play adjective squir·rel·ly \ˈskwər(-ə) -lē, ˈskwə-rə-Popularity: Bottom 30% of words Simple Definition of squirrelly : tending to move around a lot : very odd, silly, or foolish Source: Merriam-Webster's - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/27/2024 1:13:23 PM # 1.0.0.1119
“May he not be happier still than those he left behind? ' ………yes, he [or she] MAY NOT be happier. Who, among “Men” can say for sure? Who will ever be able to say for sure? As I am a ‘non-believer’ in God, I don’t worry about the happiness or unhappiness of people who have died. If my daughter were to die, ………well, it happens. If she has had a “good” life, I will be content, whether she dies tomorrow or in forty years. I certainly don’t want her to live “forever”. As to the effect the death of an offspring has on a parent, that will have to be dealt with. I’m sure a religious faith will help some; shouldn’t it? ! I wonder if this comes from the poet’s personal experience, and, if so, how. Bri :)