In January, I lost my poppy, Errol. To honour his memory, this poem explores dealing with grief using my personal experience of holding on tightly to the only possession I have left of his.
I still sleep beside you every night,
Hug your fabric close to my heart,
For even though you leave me when my eyes begin to open,
The red plaid shirt keeps me from falling apart,
At family events I’m called childish,
At school I’m called a freak,
But none of it even matters to me,
Your warm presence is all I need,
So understand, I don’t care for their opinions,
I don’t listen to their whining,
Because at the end of every day,
The feeling of you stops me from crying,
So I’ll keep the plaid unfolded,
Wrapped around me during the cold nights,
Whatever people call me,
Nothing compares to keeping you by my side,
I wish I could wear the red forever,
Never leaving the last bit I have of you behind,
Despite my impossible dreams and fantasies,
Together we can still reach the finish line
By Madeline M
💗 Write from the Heart 💗
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