Did I do the right thing
by stopping to visit?
To pay my respects
to his mother?
Or should I have stayed
away from her house?
My presence, perhaps,
unwanted.
Perhaps I was seeking
solace or grace.
Contrition, perhaps,
was way out of place.
The quiet blank stare,
no pain in her face.
Perhaps it was stoic
retraction.
Perhaps there were meds
on board, somewhere.
Her quiet and stoic,
undaunted straight face
turned my contrition
to utter disgrace.
Perhaps when I left
the poor woman cried.
God knows, I felt sorry;
how hard I had tried.
Perhaps my contrition
was way out of place.
I was still living;
her son had now died.
And I was there
when it happened,
Lord knows that I tried.
I can still hear her crying,
crying inside.
Perhaps she was seeking
the answers to why –
Why me? Why him?
Why did he have to die?
Perhaps I was too close;
I shouldn’t have come.
Perhaps, she was asking
why he was the one.
Perhaps, she was thinking
that he and not me;
and if she looked harder,
perhaps she would see
not me, but him,
instead of just me.
Perhaps….Perhaps….Perhaps….
©2013, Marvin Loyd Welborn
Tink's ChapBlog ~ Tales of the Tribe. Mythopoeic Verse 
Wow, this brought a tear to my eye…beautiful, poignant, powerful, sad…how very, very human is the response you describe…
I thought it might, it had that power…how difficult to go through that. But you have expressed it so beautifully and with such depth of compassion and understanding.
Very touching. Very difficult situation. Well captured.
Wow, this is powerful stuff.
You made me feel, it was you that one. Marvin , this is the depth of your Writing , my friend !
Just spoke the truth.
I can feel the pain. Pain is so hard to communicate effectively, but you have done it so well.
Very touching.