Write a persona poem or dramatic monologue. Take a step outside of yourself and write from the perspective of someone else. Speaking in the voice of someone else, real or fictional, gives you an interesting new perspective from which to write about your loss. This poem is one of my favorites because I remember my baby brother and by baby cousin, Karen, with their stuffed animal monkeys. I was so touched when she shared this story with me, I wrote this poem about it. Scroll down below the photo to read the persona poem.
David and his stuffed monkey.
KAREN REMEMBERS DAVID: LITTLE MONKEYS
David and I, roasting
marshmallows in front
of my barbeque pit.
Our favorite toys −
stuffed animal monkeys −
in our laps.
David in his Cub Scout uniform.
That’s how I remember us.
Our two houses so close,
we played together
all the time as little kids.
One Saturday, your dad said:
Haircut day. Get in the car.
Our monkeys talked in the back seat:
I’m glad I’m a boy because
I don’t have to have babies.
I’m glad I’m a girl because
I don’t have to go to war.
At my house, my father pinched
our cheeks really hard and said:
Look at these two little monkeys!
Each of us the youngest
in our family – the babies.
After David died, I couldn’t walk
past your house when I came from
school. Instead of cutting through
your backyard and walking
one more block, I’d make
a long loop around,
go out to the main road,
go north for four blocks −
and then over.
Thanks to RiverSedge (U of Texas - Pan American) for publishing this poem in its Fall 2011 issue.