Infants Remembered In Silence (IRIS) - Poems

My Everyday Conversation

By Tracy Weeks

In memory of Jenica Lynn Weeks (4/23/98- 6/19/98)

"...You've been married 9 years? My, you don't look that old.
Do you have any children?" That's when my blood runs cold.

This person who stands before me is considering me a friend
I hope this time is easier. " Well, here I go again..."

"We do have children, four of them! Two boys & two girls, you see."
"How wonderful! How old are they?"
"...They are 6, 5, and 11 months."

"I thought you said that you have four."
"I do...my first child passed away."
"Oh my God! How old was he?"
"He was 8 weeks old."

I hold my breath and wait, for I know what's about to happen
"Oh, how sad ...if that happened to me...I can't begin to imagine!"

"You're lucky that he died so young, before you both could bond."
"He's in a better place, you know he's safe up there with God."

"Did the babysitter kill him?"
"Maybe he was sick."
"Boy, you guys sure were able to replace him mighty quick."

"It's been 7 years...do you still think of him on his birth date?"
"Isn't SIDS that thing they say when they really suffocate?"

"You mean you didn't have some feeling that he might die that day?"
"Someday you'll "get over it" and your tears will go away."

I hope you never have to feel what I feel everyday
So as you're voicing your ideas I really want to say...

"My innocence died on December 8th, 2000.
My son's death has ripped my heart, but now I feel no hate
For the only way you could understand is if you lost your baby, too

It's obvious you have your innocence...you should thank God that you do.

So when you see us with our three please try to get this right
We have four we love, three that run and one that's taken flight!"

Adapted by Angie Neubauer

(507) 334-4748

support@irisremembers.com