A Friend's Share

A friend of my family lost a young son a few days ago.
Completely and Totally Beloved Barbara and I are still reeling after her only son killed himself early this year. I know just a bit about the pain, remorse, and heavy guilt that lingers after the immediate shock and first-stage grief wears off.
I have a son in the Air Force who did a tour in Turkey last year and is now deployable with a day or two’s notice. My daughter is married to a newly graduated West Point 2LT who is doing his first real tour in the Army, and his OJT site is Iraq, right now in a rear area support role but possibly soon as a platoon leader walking the pointy edge. My worst nightmares are about losing one or both or all of them.
So anyway – right after my friend’s son died I woke up one morning with this in my head:

A Friend’s Share

A life created through love; my friend’s.
Traveled a different path,
Now gone from our view.

Pain of a child lost is weight,
A burden to make light of mountains
Not for embrace but by those
Who loved the life into being

I cannot ‘compass that weight,
Nor ken that great pain
Though my dreams often
Darkened from that fear

Tho’ I might carry a friend's share
Just that loan of soul to soul
A sliver of pain transferred and eased
The lightest load lifted

Raise your face, then:
Feel the soul of a friend,
Who asks only
For a friend's share