The Widow and the Poppy

She sits alone dressed in black,
For he will not be coming back.
She sits and sheds a tear or two.
She knows not what to do.

Now he’s gone; now she’s sad
When asked “Who was my Dad?”
She will have to tell their only child:
“He was a hero meek and mild.”

She tells stories of their happy life:
The joys of conception, and being a wife.
You may never understand,
What some people give to make a stand.

When asked what he did, his face would beam.
“Nothing much, just part of a team.”
He was coming home and was so thrilled.
But the day before, was sadly killed.

He went to protect our freedom,
But fell foul of a roadside bomb.
He gave his life so you can be free,
And that of his wife; do you see?

She feigns joy when her little one wakes;
Twenty four seven her heart breaks.
Her child dressed in girlish pink,
For the man she loved, her only link.

She is strong, with both roles to play;
Mummy and Daddy, day after day.
She never smiles and hardly sleeps.
Her story so sad, the Poppy weeps.


The "Poppy" flower is the symbol of remembrance.


"The Widow and the Poppy is a poem that oozes grief and sorrow. The symbolism used throughout the poem is outstanding and creates strong imagery. The reader can feel every break in the character's heart, and can quite clearly visualize the Poppy's weeping. A wonderful verse!"
~ "Critic Quotes Review"

Freestyle poetry. Each stanza is a quatrain and I follow an AABB rhyme scheme.