No Words

No Words

can capture the sadness

of a mother carrying her baby

dead

                    since birth

                                                           either  balancing the infant

                                                       on her head

                                                                                   or pushing it forward
                                                                                                to the surface.

Not even Aphrodite
could breathe life into
the little corpse

deep mourning
sets in
as other members of the family
take turns
supporting the burden

we can only watch
in stunned silence
from a distant shore


https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0249/1083/files/JPod_072918_FLD_20180729_235500_000.mp3?5879655354628321978   (audio of grieving whales)

https://www.boston.com/news/animals/2018/07/30/orca-carries-dead-calf-for-week-during-deep-grieving?s_campaign=bcom%3Asocialflow%3Afacebook