Shiva

               Our hearts hurt because they know

               that yours is awash in the ache

               of the love a mother has for her progeny;

            because the circle of life

            is not supposed to backtrack,

            allowing a child to die first.

         It is in this pain we feel

         reverberating from you, as source,

         that our common humanity bonds.

      Our prayers cast their net beneath yours,

      holding you up, as you offer

      to the heavens a full spectrum

      of grief, loss, and love;

   our hearts sitting shiva with yours,

   swinging low the chariots of our love,

   keeping the fires of hope stoked

   to guide you out of this dark valley.

© 2015 Todd Jenkins