If I must go ahead,
Tell him it is alright
To one day find solace
In the warmth of another’s embrace—
But not before my bones have turned to dust.
Tell him not to make light
Of the bond we once shared,
Nor hand our love to the tongues of men
Who would mock what once was sacred.
Tell him to linger…
Just a little while longer,
Until my soul has found its rest.
Let him give them time—
Time to grieve,
Time to heal,
Time to learn the shape of a world
That no longer has their mother in it.
Tell him not to seek my replacement in their lives.
A companion he may find;
But another mother for them—
Never.
Tell them to treat her with kindness,
As I taught them to treat others.
Tell them to hold fast to one another,
And to the virtues I planted in their hearts.
Tell them to grow—
Not merely in years,
But in wisdom, courage and grace.
Tell them to become men of valour,
Steadfast when life demands strength.
And tell her to become
A woman of virtue,
Gentle without weakness,
Strong without losing her tenderness.
And tell her…
It is alright
To one day sleep in the arms
That were once my safe haven.
It is alright to laugh again,
To love again,
To savour every blessing
Life may place within her hands.
But let her never deprive them
Of the warmth of a mother’s presence,
Nor let my absence become
An excuse to erase my place in their hearts.
For life is but a fleeting breath,
A fragile passing moment—
But the bonds we forge in love
Outlive the hands that forged them.
So when my voice is gone,
Let my love remain.
When my footsteps fade,
Let my teachings guide them.
And when they speak of me,
Let them know this:
I may have left this earth,
But I never left their hearts.
*Lady C*