The
Broken Beat
My heart used to beat,
many beats in perfect time.
It pumped life through me,
unconsciously fine.
A rhythm so expected, never
missing a beat.
My heart was a good heart.
Reliable. Unique.
One day my heart fell.
My child died in my arms.
But my mind told my heart,
"You must still carry
on".
My heart preserves life,
though my soul is incomplete.
It somehow continues ticking,
even with this broken beat.
The old heart that used
to beat is so very far behind
me.
This new heart, it’s
broken beat, left here to
remind me
Her heart was near. It used
to beat so closely next
to mine.
That’s when my heart
last felt the joy of keeping
perfect time.
Editor's
Note:
This poem is dedicated
to Krista's daughter Madison.
Madison was born on her
due date, March 13, 2002,
and died 2 days later after
complications during labor
caused by blood clots in
the placenta. Krista and
her husband Brian in the
Seattle area.
