Today’s Poem is taking a turn away from my experiments and working at learning what I can on Poetry. Instead is a Poem that I feel was in need of composing .
Writing and learning how to compose a poem is therapy for me as a person and as a parent. Following a contact with someone the other night which I asked myself, ” did I ever actually compose a Poem for My son”? The reply was two fold, Following his passing I composed “The Butterfly” which was one set in the moment as it were and never could fit as a tribute in my words.
Thus my decision was Today is the day, or it should be over the past couple of days I was set on one detail, composing and completing this Poem. NOT For Sympathy or any other such related reaction, except for a sole goal of marking this as a Tribute to a little boy, my son.
Back Story:
My son’s name was, Darren Patrick Fitzgerald on July 16 1996 and In his short life, he never spoke or called out a single word. It would have been a dream to hearing him call out our names, But it was never to be. This little boy was full of life and joy, that goes beyond words. But because of his medical condition he never spoke and would have been legally blind.
When People in USA mourn and remember September 11, we prepare to mark as Darrens Passing. On a morning in mid September 2001, Darren took ill, which turned out to be a rare form of Viral meningitis. In the space of 8 hours Our son was on life supports.
For us the worst was to come in the early hours of September 26 2001, Darren’s Life supports were switched off. Darren was a young 5 years of age at the time of his passing. He left a bigger impact on us and I am certain on some that knew him all those years ago.
The mark we felt cut deeper, And for our remaining children the impact was big to say the least and his mother I know was heart shattering. BUT for me as a father It ripped my heart from me and returned a heart with a deeper hope that could never be filled.
Darren, was full of life and had a spirit that surprised many and even though he never spoke and his eyesight was most likely enough to classify him as blind. He was my son and my driving force since then and my Faith in God goes deeper since that day.
Foreword:
This piece has taken shape over many years, nearly twenty-five, written in moments of reflection, grief, and enduring love. It is not the work of a single time, but of a lifetime of remembering. I share it now as a tribute to my son, whose presence remains with me always, in ways both quiet and profound.
Though my son was disabled and I never heard him call my name. This poem serves as a tribute and as a Shout out to all parents who lost a child regardless the age. A parent has dreams for their child that develop throughout the years, some may get to see some pass and others like myself, those dreams become a memory and take many form for various people. But for me they reside as a part of my own memories that I keep stored within. Sorrow no longer dwells here but what resides goes beyond words. This Piece was never meant for a method for a kind of “Sorry for your loss” type post. Except a tribute that needed more to finally be written that goes beyond a Previous poem I composed 25 years ago “The Butterfly”.
This Poem was at first meant to be
A Father’s Love, Unbroken by Time. I shortened it To “Unbroken by Time” which I believe works a little better.
I Believe that :“Life is a journey in which all have their prints in. Some last but a fleeting moment while others have a full complete life to walk through. Those we meet along the way that become closer than most are more than memories that are left along the way. What we wee, leave behind us OR leave after us are marks of our lifes walk. And loved ones are all but a part of our hearts that go before us..”
This is a Photograph one of the last taken of Darren Before he passed on Copyright © 2026 Pat Fitzgerald. All Rights Reserved
Unbroken by Time
Though decades pass, I hold you near,
The past remains, a crystal tear.
Some wounds don’t fade or seek release,
An anchor set in quiet peace.
I listen still to hear your name,
Within the hush, it stays the same.
Your smile, so warm, so clear, so bright,
Still lingers softly in the light.
I cannot stop the passing years,
Yet gently hold these falling tears.
No anger lives, no bitter plea,
For love endures what came to be.
Rivers of love still run for you,
My cherished son, so dear, so true.
The day that turned so dark, so deep,
Still guards the light I choose to keep.
The years move on, my heart remains,
It calls to you through quiet pains.
Would you recall my voice, my face,
Or speak my name in some far place?
Though time is lost to drifting sand,
Love does not fade or loose its hand.
You live within this heart I own,
My son, this love… now fully known.
— Darren
Copyright © 2026 Pat Fitzgerald
All Rights Reserved
Thank you for coming with me on my little journey, that is composing or writing poetry. Life is a journey we all walk on. My journey in creating poetry is a journey of its own. Which I still learn much on as I write.
At times I experiment on techniques or ways to improve my poetry. Getting feedback is always most welcome for efforts like these.
When I write poetry, some readers will be offended with something within the poetry. I do not write to offend, But such are written for reasons I outline in the posts. Often I miss typos and mistakes when publishing each poem. I correct the moment I discover such mistakes.
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