THAT'S ALL WE CAN DO
WORDS FROM A NOVEL, BY STEPHEN KING,
BUT AS I READ THEM,
I WAS HIT WITH THE THOUGHT HE WAS RIGHT.
YET SOMETIMES IT DOES NOT SEEM ENOUGH,
AS MY HEART CRIES OUT AS WELL
WHEN I LOOK UPON MY DAUGHTER,
WHO AT AGE TEN,
IS LOSING HER HEARING
A LITTLE MORE EACH DAY.
I SEE HER STRUGGLE TO KEEP UP
WITH ALL THAT IS BEING SAID,
AND I SEE HER FACE WHEN SHE CANNOT HEAR.
IT IS THEN I WEEP WITH MY HEART,
TEARS OF SADNESS AND TEARS OF PRIDE.
I AM SADDENED THAT SHE CANNOT HEAR,
BUT I AM SO PROUD OF HER VALIENT STRUGGLE,
HER DETERMINATION TO OVERCOME
WHAT FATE HAS PUT IN FRONT OF HER.
WHEN SHE THINKS SHE IS ALONE,
I ALSO SEE HER TEARS
FOR WHAT SHE HAS LOST,
YET SHE CONTINUES ON
AS IF NOTHING IS HAPPENING TO HER AT ALL.
THAT IS STRENGTH, THAT IS COURAGE,
IT IS THE REASON FOR MY TEARS.
I CANNOT GIVE HER BACK WHAT SHE HAS LOST
SO I WEEP WITH MY EYES
AS IT IS ALL I CAN DO.
FOR MY DAUGHTER ELISABETH
JULY 1999
