To The Man That Killed My Child

PATRICK CASSIDY

What am I to say?

To the man that killed my child,

Should I pardon what you have done,

Show forgiveness,

Testify that it is the will of God

What am I to do?

Let me ask you this question,

If it is not too impertinent

Do you have children of your own?

Do you love your children,

And if someone robbed of your child,

Would you stand idly by?

What is it that you feel now,

Is it remorse or satisfaction?

Do you regret your action,

Or are you cold inside

Without any kind of emotion,

Or do you hide behind your silence?

Why my child?

Why not someone else's?

These are hard words,

But my heart is broken,

And it will never be put back together again,

For the final piece is missing,

I have cried until I could cry no more,

I have beaten my chest until black and blue,

I looked for comfort in the bottle,

I became a recluse,

My anger I try to keep at bay,

If only to keep me sane,

You have destroyed a happy family,

Driven a wedge between husband and wife,

You have left me empty,

I am falling and there is nothing to break my fall,

Without the will to live,

For what is life without my child

And it is I that should be lying in the grave,

I have lived long,

But my child was just beginning,

The world was once her oyster,

Until a tormented sea,

Swallowed it down

I could kill you with own bare hands,

Put a bullet in your head,

Squeeze your throat until your eyes pop out,

I could think of a thousand ways to put an end to you,

To make you suffer,

To wish that you had never been born,

But my faith in Christ,

Tells me that I must turn from hatred to pardon,

For I know I will be reunited with my child in heaven,

And if you are wise you might confess your sin,

For Christ is known for his compassion,

And I am nothing more than a grieving Father.

Author Bio

Patrick J. Cassidy, is a 60 year old poet originally from Belfast but residing in Spain. His work has been published in various anthologies in the UK since 1991 and has also appeared on numerous occasions in a “New Ulster” magazine.

Visit Stripes Literary Magazine

***

Stripes Literary Magazine began in 2020 and has become a home for un-categorized, unhinged and defiant work of art. We are especially dedicated to beginning and emerging creatives from all over the world.