My Bill

My beloved son, no longer among us,
Such innocent beauty as a babe,

With an angel smile on his tiny face.

Those were days of joy to me.

Growing into a youth,

Always smiling amid childish pranks,

And love for all things living

(A fragrant bough of hemlock—

That was a special love of his).

Months grew into years of living

Among kindred beings along his path,

Till one day, along "she" came

To be his lifelong mate.

Blest were they along the way

With someone just as sweet and dear;

The same angelic smile, in truth.

When his life was snuffed out so tragically,

It left a void to all his kin.

And as he lay so peacefully,

That day, I had to kiss him one last time,

And placed a spray of hemlock close to him,

My Bill.