Grandma's Treasure

The other treasure that she kept,
Was someplace special when she slept.
In the rocker lost in thought,
Sat the woman overwrought,
Looking out at winter's night,
No moon, no stars, no God in sight.

Darkness beyond the panes foretold,
The pain her heart could barely hold,
A soul so empty, an abyss of black,
She just wanted her baby back.

Snatched from life, her child of forty-two,
Her little girl this woman knew,
A bundle of energy in pretty dresses.
With chubby cheeks and golden tresses,
Who squealed with delight at simple things,
A bird, a dandelion, and butterfly wings.

Memories much too hard to bear,
Sat the woman in the rocking chair,
Eyes turned downward as she wept,
Eyes that beheld the treasure kept,
Her baby's blanket -- soft, threadbare,
The scent of her babe's life still there.

"Why did you take her?" she asked the night,
"What makes you think you had the right?
And of course no answer came,
There was no God to call her name.

No God to save this poor lost soul,
No God to fill that painful hole,
No God to take her daughter home,
In the cold, cold ground, lay her babe alone.

Eyes that swelled from many a tear,
Begged her to doze, but she wouldn't dare,
For if a night was ever spent,
Without that special place she went,
She'd lose the other treasure she kept,
That someplace special when she slept.

Where she went she could not recall,
The dream eluded her, details all,
Only fragments of that place would come,
Like an elusive word upon one's tongue.

But the dream stayed with her as she woke,
Bathed her in a comforting cloak,
Peered through her thoughts throughout the day,
Pushing, pushing that darkness at bay.

Where was that place?
She wanted to know,
Had she been there long ago?
Or was it a place just in her mind?
Or a place she had yet to find?

And as these questions filled her head,
The woman refused to go abed,
For if that treasure wasn't hers that night.
She'd have no reason to live, to fight.

She brought the cloth up to her nose,
Her baby's effervescence rose,
Pain stabbed her heart a newfound hole,
And the woman cried out with all her soul:

"Help me Lord, Oh help me please!"
As she slipped down to her knees,
"Help me Lord to understand,
What it is that you have planned!"

And from her knees the woman sank,
Upon the floor of hardwood plank,
The blanket clutched close to her heart,
The treasure with which she refused to part.

The sobs subsided with wracking breaths,
Erupting from her inner depths,
Then unwittingly she fell asleep,
And went to that place that was hers to keep...

She found herself upon a hill,
A cloudless day, the air so still,
The scent of flowers, softly sweet,
And green, green grass around her feet.

Around her feet?

No, for miles around,
Beautiful hills and valleys she found,
And as her eyes took all their fill,
A lamb hopped over the grassy hill.

Chasing a bird, the lamb so young,
Circled and danced and ran and sprung,
Then stood still as its eyes came to rest,
On the woman and cloth held to her chest.

It stared at her with eyes so blue,
The same eyes as her child of forty-two,
Then bounding past the woman, it ran,
Into the arms of a shepherd man.

The woman turned to see this man,
To whom the baby lamb had ran,
With breathless gasps she cried a plea,
"Oh,my Lord, have mercy on me!"

"Oh yes my child, my lamb so dear,
My mercy is great, that's why you're here,
And this baby lamb I hold, you see,
Is the babe you lost, but she's with me.

Do not lose heart, don't turn from Me,
Release your anger and you'll be free,
For when you speak to Me with love,
Your words will reach your babe above.

So pray without ceasing,
I tell you now,
Speak with your soul, you now know how,
Until that day when you come home,
Your daughter will never be alone."

"Oh yes, my Lord," her voice so meek,
As the Shepherd touched her cheek,
And wiped away her one last tear,
Such love her soul could hardly bear.

And as the Shepherd turned to go,
The lamb lunged at her and deftly stole,
The other treasure that she kept,
The baby blanket in which she'd wept.

Then, off it ran in leaps and springs,
And faithfully followed it's newfound King,
But as it reached the crest of the hill,
The lamb abruptly stopped, stood still.

Turning its head with the blanket it took,
Gazing at her with a gentle look,
For one short moment, mother and child,
Shared a farewell, silent and mild. . . . . .

There the dream faded as the woman arose,
Up from the floor where she took her repose,
And looking about and all around,
The treasure she kept could not be found.

Then came from her heart, a glorious song,
For the baby blanket now was gone!
The two great treasures she once had kept,
One physical, the other when she slept,
Were now in Heaven where they belonged,
With the Shepherd for Whom she now longed.

Grandma, it's now time to go,
Go home to Jesus as we know,
Your baby girl is waiting there,
An eternal life you now will share.

Peace and love you will only feel,
The two of you wait for us to heal.
Someday we'll reunite our family,
In Heaven where we will all be.



My dearest Grandma, I love you deeply! I pray for you to have peace and happiness as you soon go home to Jesus. Our Lord is waiting there for you with your daughter. I am thrilled to know she's is there ready to spend an eternity with you. Your pain and longing for your dear Margaret will soon be over. Go in peace, Grandma, and give my mom a hug for me! I will miss you both more than you will ever know. However, I know you will have each other and you will have Jesus! You are blessed and will forever be in His care!

Always and forever,
Your granddaughter Colleen