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Farewell To Jimmy

Farewell To Jimmy
By Mark Spencer


Michael got to the hospital 
A little after three.
His flight arrived at two AM
From Nashville Tennessee.

But his son was not responding,
His vital signs were weak.
The boy was in a coma, and
The prognosis was bleak.

The doctor was less than hopeful,
He didn’t want to lie.
So long deprived of oxygen,
Meant James would likely die.

And sure enough at three AM,
The boy went to Heaven. 
A victim of iniquity,
He was only seven.

How could this tragedy occur,
Who would take Jimmy’s life?
The sheriff took Michael aside,
Said sir, it was your wife.

When Jimmy went to sleep last night,
Your wife came to his bed.
She took a pillow in her hands,
And placed it on his head.

She pressed it over her son’s face,
And held it very tight.
She didn’t let him draw a breath,
Until he ceased to fight.

She later told my deputy,
Her voice without remorse,
Your son was a reminder of
What ended in divorce.

She was charged and sent to prison,
For the life that she stole. 
The consequence that she would face,
Was life without parole.

Michael returns to Jimmy’s grave,
At least twelve times per year.
He brings fresh flowers every time,
And drowns them in his tears.

The boy was caught up in the storm
Of mom and daddy’s war.
The victim of his mother’s choice
To hurt his father more.

Divorce has many casualties,
Our children most of all.
The roles they play can be extreme,
Like weapons in a brawl.

And no amount of battles won
Can justify this wrong.
For temporary victories
Never lasts very long.

The scales are balanced over time,
And truth will come to light.
Surviving children learn the parts
That they played in your fight.

That’s when the ground beneath your feet
Starts to shake and shimmy.
Like it did the day that Michael
Said farewell to Jimmy. 

Copyright © Mark Spencer | Year Posted 2015

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