Death of a Neighbor Poem

Ginny & Hugh

Dear Ginny,

We were so sorry to hear the news

That today you lost your beloved Hugh.

Though his last years were tough in many ways

Your charity and love enveloped those days.

Meeting basic human needs is a lot of work

And yet from those duties, you did not shirk.

Your devotion to Hugh has inspired our world

What a precious example for our three little girls.

May God grant you peace from heaven above

As He carefully wraps you in the arms of His love.

With Deep Sympathy and Condolences,

The Stewart Family

  

The above poem and drawing by my daughter were included in our homemade sympathy card.

The Rest of the Story

Our family lived next door to Ginny and Hugh during the time we lived in Wyoming. They were a loving couple in their late eighties who quickly became our adopted grandparents as we had no family in town. Since I worked from home at the time, I would often bring my girls over for a change of pace throughout the week. When we got a plow for our 4-wheeler, my husband would clear their driveway every time it snowed. They never asked - and we never offered - it was just part of life in Wyoming.

One day while I was busy at home with the girls, I happened to glance out the back sliding-door and noticed Ginny outside in her driveway. It looked like she was holding up a bedsheet in front of something. Before I could process the view before me, an ambulance pulled into the driveway. My heart sank. What on earth was going on? Later, I found out that Hugh slipped in the driveway and broke his hip. Ginny tried to keep the sun off him with a sheet until the ambulance arrived. Hugh eventually recovered from his broken hip and made it home from rehab. There was a home care nurse that subsequently came to help once or twice a week, but Ginny still provided the majority of care for Hugh. How she did, we’ll never know. She fed, bathed and clothed Hugh every day, right up until the end. His death marked a new chapter in all our lives.

I like the versatility of poetry. Poetry can inspire and heal, but it can also be raw and difficult. A lot of my personalized poems rhyme, but not all the time. As the weeks progress, I hope to dive deeper into the pond and share a more versatile side of poetry with you.

Have you ever written a poem that helped you face a difficult situation? Or is there a poem you like because it relates to a difficult chapter in your life? Feel free to share it in the comments below.