Your Birthday

This poem is for everyone who has ever lost a child.

You would think that the words
"Happy Birthday"
would no longer apply;
and yet

somehow

the memory of the day you graced the world
with your innocent, unique presence
carries more joy than sorrow

for though you are no longer among us,
your birthday reminds us always
of all that you were and,
miraculously,
all that you continue to be.

Your birthday.

The day you broke the anxious silence
with a wail,
waving tiny fists and declaring life
to joyful ears.
The day the world changed...
...imperceptibly
and yet vividly, importantly,
for there has never been another YOU
and never will be again.

On your birthday
a new soul entered the world
and God's smile shone bright with pride
as you became one of His children.

Now, perhaps,
the most beautiful thing about your birthday
is the knowledge
that no one
anywhere
can ever take that away.