The Birthday Party

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     It was my seventh birthday party, mother had everything planned,
Decorations were in the dining room, invitations sent out, balloons;
          And on February first, I was going to have a party with all my friends,
I will never know why mother did not just cancel that party but she didn't.

     I was so excited about it, all of January I was trying on my birthday dress,
But at the party, I sat at the head of the table, quiet and with no emotion;
          I remember all the kids with their hats on and playing with balloons,
The cake was in front of me, the candles lit, but I was just sitting there.

     Someone took a picture, I still have it, my mother and grandma behind me,
And they were weeping, but not because it was my birthday, but for Suzanne;
          You see we had buried her the day before, she had died a tragic death,
I told my mother after that I never wanted another birthday party, please.

     The newspaper ran the story of my sisters accident on the front page,
Girl, killed under wheels of gravel truck, Suzanne, aged eight years, daughter;
          Of Mr. and Mrs. of 405 Rideau Street, was crushed to death beneath the,
Dual wheels of a fully-loaded gravel truck at Clarence and Chapel Street.

     It was the years first fatality. The truck was southbound on Chapel Street,
Shortly after noon, the driver told the police that he saw the girl on a snow bank;
          She suddenly darted, then apparently tried to stop as she saw the truck,
Her feet slipped onthe icy street- she slipped beneath the heavy dual wheels.

     She was killed instantly, Mr. and Mrs. have two other girls,  age 4 and 6,
That clipping is fading but I usually read it every birthday, to remember;
          My mother said, why not just change the date of your birthday, dear,
But I refused, it is my destiny to have this day reserved to remember Suzanne.

     And I have never celebrated another birthday . . . and never will, ever,
You see I was on that snow bank also, I watched my sister disappear and die;
          Mother and I stood together and watched her blood soak the street,
I will never forget my mothers screaming, it will echo in my soul forever. fore

             No wonder my life istormented but especially on my birthday !
             
                         
_________________________________
January 25, 2016

Poetry/Verse/The Birthday Party
Copyright Protected, ID 16-749-038-0
All Rights Reserved.  Written under Pseudonym.

For the contest, Birthday Party, sponsor, Nayda Ivette Negron

First Place

Copyright © | Year Posted 2016



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Date: 2/11/2016 10:15:00 PM
Broken, Congrats in Nayda's "Birthday Party win." Love LINDA
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Constance La France
Date: 2/13/2016 12:50:00 AM
Linda, thanks for the congrats, appreciate !~
Date: 2/11/2016 9:00:00 AM
Broken Wings, there's loss (as in a broken relationship) and there's loss such as you suffered. There is no comparison. It could not have been easy to write the poem. Thank you for sharing .
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Constance La France
Date: 2/11/2016 9:27:00 AM
Steve, thank you for that compassionate comment, no it was not easy to write, but God gave me this gift of writing and I use it to release my sorrow, of course this is a sorrow that is forever, but sharing it helps me to mend these broken wings, just knowing that so many care....
Date: 2/11/2016 4:32:00 AM
Heartfelt write .. indeed tragic dear Broken..Congrats on ur awesome win.
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Constance La France
Date: 2/11/2016 9:29:00 AM
Upma, thanks for the congrats and the awesome, this is a horror no child should ever have to see, but I imagine in war ravaged countries, children see death on a daily basis... how will they ever erase those images from their minds, I know I cannot !
Date: 2/11/2016 4:06:00 AM
What a tragic thing to happen in every way there is. What a great sister you are!
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Constance La France
Date: 2/11/2016 9:33:00 AM
Thank you Susan, I have kept my sister Suzanne's memory alive for my siblings, my younger sister, Jocelyn was only four at the time, so she had little memory of the incident, but I tell her all about Suzanne and she loves her, and the even the younger boys have no memory, but again I have always told them stories and showed them pictures... I have the newspaper clipping, fading now...
Date: 2/10/2016 8:49:00 PM
Oh, Broken Wing, my heart aches all I can say is I was there I'd give you a hug. Love you ?
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Constance La France
Date: 2/11/2016 9:34:00 AM
Eve, yes it is a sad write, perhaps I should give a warning, and I can feel that hug that comes from the distance, thanks for the love. . .
Date: 2/10/2016 8:18:00 PM
Extremely sad memories but expressed with such honesty and sincerity. Well deserving of top honors, B.W. Congratulations
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Constance La France
Date: 2/10/2016 8:28:00 PM
Daniel, thanks for the compassionate comment and for the congratulations !!
Date: 2/10/2016 6:23:00 PM
Your poem gave me chills. How sad. I have some sad birthday memories also but yours is so much more so. Congratulations on being able to write about it. Maybe that will help allay some of the horror. Certainly deserved #1 Love, Joyce
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Constance La France
Date: 2/10/2016 8:29:00 PM
Joyce, thanks for that nice comment, I write and write of it and still it remains as painful ~
Date: 2/10/2016 6:07:00 PM
What a tragedy to always have one's birthday remind us of the saddest day of our life. Indeed a heart=breaking poem.
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Constance La France
Date: 2/10/2016 8:30:00 PM
Carrie, thanks for visiting my poem, yes it does put a shadow on any happy birthday but my family and friends refuse to allow me to dwell, but in the back of my mind it is always there ~
Date: 2/10/2016 5:42:00 PM
I'm chocked up reading your poem - no wonder you don't like to celebrate now:-( congrats on your win:-) hugs jan xx
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Constance La France
Date: 2/10/2016 8:34:00 PM
Jan, thanks for visiting, it is never easy to recall this and writing it was hard but I hoped it would release some of the pain that still lingers to this day, and I know you understand, and thanks for the congrats !
Date: 2/10/2016 5:22:00 PM
A terrible story, told so well. Congrats..She'd be proud of you. BG
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Constance La France
Date: 2/10/2016 8:37:00 PM
Barbara, life is full of terrible stories, many have horrible things happen to them in their lives, what I am thankful for is this gift to be able to write it and share it, I do think it helps, oh yes, she is always with me and thanks for the congrats !
Date: 2/10/2016 5:15:00 PM
I felt very sad when I read your poem. Your little sister is in heaven watching over you. Love and light. Congratulations on the placement of the contest.
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Constance La France
Date: 2/10/2016 8:38:00 PM
Nayda, thanks for another great contest and for giving my poem such a great honor, I am very proud and I know she would be also...
Date: 1/28/2016 1:04:00 PM
The light of your sister's soul springs forth from you. She is always with you and looking from behind your shoulder--seeing everything from your vantage point. Surely, a gift to you is how special the relationship is among your own daughters. You must love them for 2.
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Constance La France
Date: 1/28/2016 2:13:00 PM
Yes, Duke my sister is with me all the time, but, sadly I have no daughters and never will, and my baby boys are buried, but names engraved...
Date: 1/28/2016 1:00:00 PM
Such an unfortunate event. However, this sadness has shaped who you are and given you a unique perspective and experience to share with us. How precious our time is? Your experience and words say that it is more so that we can imagine. Your experience and words scream out for peace in the world. So, as I have said before, your writing is a gift to me and others. Please bring us your tears since they spring from a well of experience we all need to feel.
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Constance La France
Date: 1/28/2016 2:12:00 PM
Duke, thanks for visiting with your wonderful and compassionate comment so appreciated ~
Date: 1/28/2016 9:13:00 AM
Words so gracious. Beauty so outspoken and creativity so explicit. I love this. Thanks for the beyond 7 share.
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Constance La France
Date: 1/28/2016 11:16:00 AM
Funom, thanks for those lovely words and the the 7, so grateful !!
Date: 1/27/2016 12:46:00 AM
My heart has wept a thousand tears with every word you penned.Your sorrows reach out to your loved souls in eternity. None has ever left you, they live with you constantly. Hence, destiny named uou Constance. Love.....
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Constance La France
Date: 1/27/2016 8:46:00 AM
Balveen, thanks for reading my poem, I know it is a difficult one to read, it holds so much grief and pain, but I need to write my sorrow, I need to write it over and over and over... and that day could be yesterday, it is so clear in my mind...
Date: 1/26/2016 9:06:00 AM
You have experienced an unimaginable loss. I'm so sorry you witnessed your sisters death. You have penned your emotions in a sensitive way and as we shed our tears may they release a small bit of your pain.
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Constance La France
Date: 1/26/2016 4:13:00 PM
Richard, thanks so much for your compassion, that experience changed my life forever, and created a bond between my mother and me unbreakable, of course I have had happiness but in the shadows this memory has always been lurking, writing helps me release that pain, I write it over and over ~
Date: 1/26/2016 7:27:00 AM
Nah, BW, you're not tormented- if you were you would be inward looking, imploding, oblivious to all and consumed, eaten by memory. But since you call out with your words not only does your poetry act like a valve to the soul, your calls get answered, and we all catch a tear each so none are wasted, such is the value of your love for your loss. Well, that's what I think, anyway x
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Constance La France
Date: 1/26/2016 7:37:00 AM
Viv, what a beautiful comment, I did go inward at the time, refusing to speak, I closed my petals, it was my grandma, who gave me a journal and pen, and said write it dear heart, write it and thus a poet was born, I always pen my sadness, it is my release, over and over, I write it... it does help, I share my sadness and hopefully touch others with my poems!
Date: 1/26/2016 7:01:00 AM
I thought I would share the names of the three daughters, Suzanne 8 years old, Constance 6 years old, and Jocylyn 4 years old. My mothers and grandma had beautiful names also, and even my dad had a lovely name, later there would be boys with awesome names, even grandpa had an interesting name....
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Date: 1/26/2016 6:33:00 AM
Absolutely tragic, and desperately sad, BW, and I can relate- my good lady's birthday is on the same day as the anniversary of my Mother's passing. Bittersweet, nothing to celebrate. Viv x
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Constance La France
Date: 1/26/2016 6:52:00 AM
Viv, thanks for the compassion, odd how these celebrations of life bring some of us sadness, sorry for the passing of your mother, I bet it is still raw. I have memories of Suzanne so bittersweet, I recall us playing together, talking, sometimes people thought we were twins, mother told me to hold onto those but how can I erase what I witnessed at such an early age, now you know why I write such sad poems... I am tormented !
Date: 1/25/2016 11:53:00 PM
so heartfelt, constance..my mother passed on a few days after my birthday as if she were just waiting for us to all be together one last time... such pain wonderfully expressed!..huggs
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Constance La France
Date: 1/26/2016 6:38:00 AM
Nette, thanks for visiting my sad poem, so you must always recall your mother on your birthday, I have both sweet memories of Suzanne and terrible nightmares of her death . . .
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