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3/21/2018

Sunglasses

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Read Now
 
Heather Carnaghan
​

I smile
at the newborn’s first coos

and the delicious softness
of her peach fuzz hair against my cheek.
I am drunk on the smell 
of sweet, sour milk 
and so much life to live.

Your hair was fine.

A single lock was spared by the nurses 
before your perfect puckered mouth
and round cheeks
were turned to ash.
My consolation prize

was taped to ugly paper 
with an uninspired border
that was haphazardly off-center.

Why does she get a lifetime 
of smoothing sleep-dampened hair
and frilly bows
but I am left with 37 taped strands 
and a tear-stained box of cinders?

I didn’t spill a single tear 
on her pink and wriggling infant.

I saved them all for the desperate ride home
camouflaging jagged, jealous thoughts
and raw eyes behind unnecessary sunglasses.
​

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  • Home
  • Read & View
    • Fox Sightings (Blog)
    • The Beautiful Before (Poetry)
    • Our Stories (PDFs & E-Books)
    • Expressions of Grief (Artwork)
    • Grief Quote Gallery
    • Book Club
    • Submit a Post, Story, Poem, Artwork
  • Grief Resources
    • For the Mother >
      • Labor & Delivery
      • Saying Goodbye
      • Maternity leave with no baby
      • Build a Support Network
      • Journal
      • Music for Healing
      • Embrace Your Inner Artist
      • Get Active
      • Remembering Your Baby
      • Read About Grief & Healing
      • Become a Support for Others
      • Pregnancy After Loss
    • For the Father/Partner >
      • Build a Network
      • Journaling
      • Embrace Art
      • Find Ways to Remember Baby (F/P)
      • Read More About Grief & Healing
    • For the sibling >
      • A child grieves a different loss
      • Healthy Grief, Strange Behavior
      • Grief Patterns By Age
      • Rules of Parenting a Grieving Child
      • Children's Books & Resources
    • For the Grandparent
    • For Caregivers & Medical Staff
    • How to Support a grieving friend >
      • What is stillbirth?
      • What do I say or do?
      • When does grief end?
  • Memorial Planning
    • Components
    • Readings
    • Music
    • Program Templates
    • Other Ways to Remember your baby
    • Financial Assistance
  • Weekend of Kindness
    • Weekend of Kindness 2022
    • PROJECTS WE'RE PROUD OF
    • JOIN THE KINDNESS CREW
    • A FEW KIND IDEAS
  • Wrapped in Love Project
    • Project Wish List
    • Resources for Sewists
    • Project Gallery
    • Donate a Dress
    • Volunteer to Sew