Contributor Series 4: Aspects of the Elephant, For My Growing Twin Sons
Contributor Series 4: Aspects of the Elephant
For My Growing Twin Sons
By John Lee Clark
What surprised me the most
when I first touched
my premature twin sons
was how close my palms
could get to their hearts
thrumming against tender cages.
Their skin too sensitive to stroke,
I just held them close,
chest against heaving chest,
almost heart to heart,
and I breathed close to tears,
hoping they would not die.
I hoped not against hope,
knowing that if they lived
their bodies would grow
more secretive of their hearts,
followed by other secrets
making them only themselves.
No, I hoped for hope,
that they may live and grow,
even if it is a growing distance
from me, but so they know
and hold close other hearts
hoping they would not die.
John Lee Clark's poem Winter Baseball appeared at vox poetica in 2010.
For My Growing Twin Sons
By John Lee Clark
What surprised me the most
when I first touched
my premature twin sons
was how close my palms
could get to their hearts
thrumming against tender cages.
Their skin too sensitive to stroke,
I just held them close,
chest against heaving chest,
almost heart to heart,
and I breathed close to tears,
hoping they would not die.
I hoped not against hope,
knowing that if they lived
their bodies would grow
more secretive of their hearts,
followed by other secrets
making them only themselves.
No, I hoped for hope,
that they may live and grow,
even if it is a growing distance
from me, but so they know
and hold close other hearts
hoping they would not die.
John Lee Clark's poem Winter Baseball appeared at vox poetica in 2010.
Posted by Annmarie at 2/10/2010 1:55 AM 
Categories: today's words, Contributor Series 4
Tags: fragile premature sons twins John Lee Clark love hope
Categories: today's words, Contributor Series 4
Tags: fragile premature sons twins John Lee Clark love hope
Tender, full of love and hope, beautifully expressed. Thank you.
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terrific. touching without being too sentimental
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I just love this poem.
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Just a wonderful, loving, beautiful poem.
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It takes something this special to make me weep and weep I did. Fantastic poem.
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This poem is so precious, I feel it should be placed in a locket and kept for perpetuity
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