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The Valley of Loss

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When I was growing up I envied my school friends They’d go to tea with grandma and stay there some weekends My mother lost her mum at the tender age of eight, and cancer is an illness that I have come to hate Cancer killed my father his brother and his dad Dad’s relatives I never met which makes me very sad If I could have one wish I’d travel back in time and meet all my relations but death took them in their prime A factual poem Written for Empty your soul with Words Contest Sponsored by Broken Wings Submitted to I wish I knew you when i was young Contest Sponsored by Julie Leigh Rodeheaver 11-13-17

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Gregory Richard Barden

Date: 12/9/2017 3:45:00 PM

That would be my wish, too, Jan ... this is so beautiful - loved it! Congratulations on your well-deserved win, my friend - blessings!

Jan Allison
Date: 12/9/2017 4:24:00 PM

I am sure there are many that can relate to the poem Greg:-( hugs jan xx

Subimal Sinha-Roy

Date: 12/3/2017 7:11:00 AM

Congratulations, Jan on your win.

Jan Allison
Date: 12/3/2017 8:15:00 AM

Thanks Subimal:-) hugs Jan xx

Seren Roberts

Date: 12/2/2017 9:30:00 PM

Congrats Jan on your win. You will have to be a foster nan to children who have no family, make nearly family days. ....Seren

Jan Allison
Date: 12/3/2017 8:15:00 AM

Maybe someone could adopt me I'd promise to behave lol:-) hugs jan xx

Sandra Haight

Date: 11/26/2017 8:04:00 AM

Such a well-written, but heartfelt and sad, poem, Jan. I too can relate... Congratulations on your win in the contest. Hugs, Sandra

Jan Allison
Date: 11/26/2017 2:32:00 PM

I feel I missed out so much not having grandparents:-( hugs jan xx

Constance La France

Date: 11/26/2017 7:21:00 AM

Jan, a very emotional write which I can relate to well, congratulations on your win in my contest and best of luck in the next one !

Jan Allison
Date: 11/26/2017 2:32:00 PM

Thanks so much Constance:-) hugs Jan xx

Viv Wigley

Date: 11/26/2017 1:33:00 AM

I can relate, sadly, and your verse comes at such a dark time , Jan. Well done, Viv x (soupmail)

Jan Allison
Date: 11/26/2017 6:09:00 AM

Thanks for dropping by Mr Viv and sending you an extra hug:-) hugs jan xx

Brian Davey

Date: 11/25/2017 1:50:00 PM

Oh dear Jan this write rings so close to my heart with what and who that illness has taken away from me and this world. Congratulations on your win

Jan Allison
Date: 11/25/2017 1:56:00 PM

Thanks Brian, I'm so sorry you can relate to it on a personal level to. But on a positive note today is the 4th anniversary my hubby had his cancer surgery and when I wrote my very first poem since childhood.:-) hugs Jan xx

Joseph May

Date: 11/25/2017 8:46:00 AM

A heartfelt write Jan...Congrats on your win

Jan Allison
Date: 11/25/2017 9:57:00 AM

I seem to write an awful lot about death lately - we have another funeral this week and now of another we will attend... but the death happened abroad on the journey home so we are just reeling from this sad news:-( hugs jan xx

Roy Pett

Date: 11/19/2017 5:40:00 AM

Your talent to write is amazing I am laughing at your Limericks then I read this beautifully written poem and you get me emotional, brilliant, GL in contest. :))

Jan Allison
Date: 11/19/2017 11:35:00 AM

aww Roy you are too kind I just write whatever comes into my mind:-) I much prefer writing humour but I can write the odd more serious poem:-) hugs Jan xx

Edward Ebbs

Date: 11/18/2017 10:28:00 AM

A very touching poem...nice, Ed

Jan Allison
Date: 11/18/2017 4:02:00 PM

Thanks so much Ed, lovely to see you again:-) I hope you are well:-) hugs jan xx

Joanna Daniel

Date: 11/18/2017 6:19:00 AM

Very sad to know about this, Jan, well expressed poem :)

Jan Allison
Date: 11/18/2017 7:07:00 AM

Thanks Jo I feel i missed out so much with not having grandparents:-( hugs jan xx

Line Gauthier

Date: 11/14/2017 10:51:00 PM

Beautifully sad. Extremely endearing. Line xx

Jan Allison
Date: 11/18/2017 7:07:00 AM

Thanks Line:-) hugs jan xx

Arthur Vaso

Date: 11/14/2017 5:34:00 PM

Yes is sad when everyone passes before their time, Id love to turn back time, nice poem.

Jan Allison
Date: 11/14/2017 5:46:00 PM

Yes me too Arthur:-) hugs jan xx

Christopher Flaherty

Date: 11/14/2017 4:55:00 PM

Would love to have met and got to know my Dads mum and dad but they died before me. He was in a way very bitter and seemed to hate his childhood went into the navy at 16 to get away . But meeting your grandparents may not explain the regrets of your parents because as grandparents they are probably different as they were parents. Its a great conundrum Jan like it

Christopher Flaherty
Date: 11/14/2017 5:42:00 PM

Very very interesting concept and thought Jan Got me thinking and pondering the question

Jan Allison
Date: 11/14/2017 5:27:00 PM

Thanks Christopher I agree there would be positives and negatives about going back in time and meeting them, I guess that whatever is past must stay in the past:-( hugs Jan xx

Caycay Jennings

Date: 11/14/2017 4:43:00 PM

While I know bits and pieces about your family, I didn't know this. Using brevity, you completely painted the strength of your wishing and the 'gray' such a wish could feel. You can't lose in any contest where the poem expresses your truth so well, and this does. Love ... CayCay

Jan Allison
Date: 11/14/2017 5:25:00 PM

I knew my mum lost her mother at aged 8 and the impact on her life has been massive, but I looked at the 'family gravestone' (my one stone contest poem is probably the most honest poem I will ever write) and see my father lost his dad at aged 2. I wish I'd had the chance to meet them:-( hugs jan xx

Viv Wigley

Date: 11/14/2017 6:19:00 AM

Like that time machine existed. Darned phone keyboard x

Jan Allison
Date: 11/14/2017 6:30:00 AM

I struggle with my PC and i don't have a smart phone to make even more of a mess of my poetry lol:-) hugs jan xx

Viv Wigley

Date: 11/14/2017 6:17:00 AM

Sadly, Jan, I can relate to your write through close experiences of my own. A time machine would be most welcome. I suppose we should be living lime that time machine existed right now. Good luck with a fine write. Viv x

Jan Allison
Date: 11/14/2017 6:29:00 AM

My hubbies cancer was a turning point in our lives and we appreciate and enjoy every day that we have ... none of us know what is around the corner:-( hugs jan xx

Anne-Lise Andresen

Date: 11/14/2017 4:47:00 AM

- A heartbreaking poem, Jan - Cancer is a terrible disease that affects so many ... both young and old ... some "win ... but most lose" :( - Luck in the contest - hugs // Anne-Lise :)

Jan Allison
Date: 11/14/2017 6:06:00 AM

Yes it certainly has affected my life quite dramatically but if it wasn't for my hubbies cancer I would never have started writing:-) hugs jan xx

Russell Sivey

Date: 11/14/2017 4:24:00 AM

I'm so sorry that you never really got to see your grandmothers, that is very sad that cancer has taken so many lives within your family! I'm saddened by this revelation Jan! I was a lucky one though! I got to see my grandparents, both sets, through till middle age. I still have a 97 year old grandmother, and a young 87 year old grandfather on the other side of the family! I even got to set two sets of great grandparents while growing up, great grandpa lived til I was 18! Great Work my friend!!

Jan Allison
Date: 11/14/2017 4:38:00 AM

Wow you are lucky to still have grandparents Russell I feel I missed out so much when I was younger:-( hugs jan xx

Wilfred Aniagyei

Date: 11/14/2017 3:08:00 AM

A sad one, I'm sorry for your loss.... A reflecting read

Jan Allison
Date: 11/14/2017 4:34:00 AM

Thanks Wilfred:-) hugs jan xx

Kim Rodrigues

Date: 11/13/2017 11:57:00 PM

A sad fact <3 Best for a win, Jan!

Jan Allison
Date: 11/14/2017 4:34:00 AM

Thanks Kim:-) hugs jan xx

Janice Canerdy

Date: 11/13/2017 9:17:00 PM

Well-written, emotional, and heart-wrenching, Jan! Janice

Jan Allison
Date: 11/14/2017 4:33:00 AM

These contests certainly are a challenge in so many ways Janice:-) hugs Jan xx

Maureen Mcgreavy

Date: 11/13/2017 8:48:00 PM

Wowsa Jan, you are an affecting poetess. Tender moving pen, much love and good luck in the contest xomo

Jan Allison
Date: 11/14/2017 4:32:00 AM

Thanks Mo I often move people to tears with my poetry but hopefully with laughter but I occasionally write a more serious poem:-) thanks for your comment:-) hugs jan xx

Richard Lamoureux

Date: 11/13/2017 7:15:00 PM

This is sad Jan, I can relate. Cancer took my father and grandfather within a few weeks of each other. Well expressed sad and still poetically expressed.

Jan Allison
Date: 11/13/2017 7:26:00 PM

I've always felt so sad not having any proper grandparents - my grandfather was not a very nice man so we rarely saw him and he died when I was quite small and was survived by my mothers step-step mother who was not a blood relative:-( hugs jan xx

Connie Marcum Wong

Date: 11/13/2017 4:05:00 PM

Same here Jan. I would have loved to meet my grandmother on either side, but I did have a grandfather on my Mom's side I was close to. Cancer took him as well as my grandmother. This is a lovely tribute to their memory. Blessings, Connie : )xxoo

Jan Allison
Date: 11/13/2017 4:10:00 PM

I wish I'd had the chance to meet them Connie, but that's life:-( not a day goes past when mum doesn't talk a bout her 'mummy' its quite heartbreaking she had 2 step mothers after her mother died but not a real 'mother' and the pain is with her to this day:-( hugs jan xx