Join the Neopoet online poetry workshop and community to improve as a writer, meet fellow poets, and showcase your work. Sign up, submit your poetry, and get started.

"Little Jane"

I will call her simply Jane
To me she needed no name
Our houses built all the same

Her garden backed onto mine
Where we met that first time
A small girl no older than nine

“Hello” she cried out one day
All the barriers flew away
We were in the same place

One older mind and a child
The gap was bridged we talked
Over the fence our spaces safe

“I shall call you Poppy she said”
By this she was inside my head
Another daughter to join mine

“Why Poppy” I asked of her
“Because of that beautiful flower
You are growing there.”

A seed from a passing bird
Had dropped from the wild
To light the eyes of a child

We talked as the days grew long
I was there just passing through
Yet little was it that I knew

This little girl was temporary to
Each day our friendship grew
Closer to my leaving this garden

Yet time dictated I would leave
One day little Jane called my name
Poppy would you like to see

The secret that is hidden just so
I said yes little angel what is it
If it was alright for me to know

You are Poppy she declared
With this she took off her hair
You are my friend and can know

I nearly cried her little head shinning so.
“It’s alright Poppy I am not well”
“But to you I know I can tell”

I left it at that and thought no more
A child’s complaint that’s for sure
Her Mother must have seen me there

That Jane had shown me her lack of hair
She spoke softly to me that day
How her child would soon pass away

Indoors I hurried at hearing this news
I cried and thought why not me
She was only nine it shouldn't be.

My little Jane if only I could share
Some of my years of time here
That you could grow as others did

I had each day from then on
To hide the tears as they didn’t belong
To little Jane’s lovely ways

The time came for me to move along
My work took me away from there
I always remember Jane’s song

I see her there in every tree
A gentle breeze caressing the leaves
Singing an angels soulful song

I hear her in the song of the birds
I still remember her childlike words
Poppy, Poppy, come talk to me.

Review Request (Intensity): 
Please use care (this is a sensitive subject for me, do not critique harshly)
Last few words: 
I was 30 and just leaving the R.A.F after nearly 15 years. I had a wife and family, we were in Suffolk, the house backed onto another one on the Air Force estate. This little girl came to talk to me at the bottom of her garden, I only wish I knew what happened to her. But I guess the memory is better to have than knowing. I think that we meet some, greet, and pass on, I also think it was lovely to know her as she was, With Unconditional love to Jane wherever she may be Yours Ian.T
Editing stage: 

Comments

This so touching, it moistened my eyes and pray for her soul to be in eternal joy and peace.

Regards,

raj (sublime_ocean)

In life she was a joy to all, where she is now, she will be giving the universe its own glow of love.
Sadie and the children would have been blessed the day that they would meet her, it was 42 years ago.
My grandson had two operations a few years ago and if Jane had been here then she may have been cured but this is progress today and we should be pleased that these lights of the world can be kept burning longer now, Thanks for your visit, Yours as always Ian.T

.
There are a million reasons to believe in yourself,
So find more reasons to believe in others..

author comment

it's so moving, Ian..very beautiful.Thanks for sharing.

Alid

Maybe, I should write a few more stories of my before times.
Having lived quite a few years I have much to tell.
In my poetry though it is influenced by my life to a great degree.
My life is always changing as the seasons flow across decades.
You take to yourself the things that have influenced your life over the years and write about the feelings in there.
You will find that each of us, though having been brought up in many
countries, our feelings are the same except those dictated by various religions across the world.
The freedom of thought is the most beautiful freedom there is and as poets to be able to write of these things is a blessing.
Go well young Alid it is a hard journey that we have to learn from,
Yours Ian.T

.
There are a million reasons to believe in yourself,
So find more reasons to believe in others..

author comment

write them down. I would love to see your works.

Alid

Very moving, Regards Roscoe...

Roscoe Llane,

Religion will rip your faith off, and return
for the mask of disbelief that's left.

Many thanks for your visit, the little girl was a joy to talk to over the garden fence, I often wonder what happened to her, but Sadie says she is there with them so I ask no more..
Yours Ian.T

.
There are a million reasons to believe in yourself,
So find more reasons to believe in others..

author comment

to my eyes. I read and re-read many times.
Very touching.

The verse
Singing an angel(')s soulful song.
Thanks for sharing.

❤❤❤❤❤❤

Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words
........Robert Frost☺

Please follow me on Instagram
https://instagram.com/poetry.jo?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

It reminds me of how lucky we are not only to be living so long but to have known such a Spirit as little Jane, thanks for your visit, Yours Ian.T

.
There are a million reasons to believe in yourself,
So find more reasons to believe in others..

author comment

I left a comment here before now its gone...I'll be back tonight to redo it...weird

Love always Jayne x

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” — W.B. Yeats

This Jane gave a light to others, in her freedom and pure thoughts, she would run up the garden to our fence and take off her little wig and laugh with me at many things.
She is a free Spirit now and I often wonder if in those short years how much she taught people about life.
Thanks for your visit will wait to see what else you wanted to say, Yours as always Ian.T

.
There are a million reasons to believe in yourself,
So find more reasons to believe in others..

author comment

this piece is one of your greatest masterpiece, inspired from a real bonding in life. This to me tells me about the vulnerability of life that can be taken away from people of any age. Yes, we may ask "Why her? She's so young".
it is hard to accept. Then again, we are only humans who do not know God's plan. Tragedies becomes one of the powerful reasons our hearts reach out to another. I think to Jane, her illness makes her want to make friends with people. The fact that it didn't push her away from people shows the power of her human spirit, the willingness to accept fate's decree. This piece also tells me about friendship so beautiful that the age gap did not matter.It is rare to see that, these days. There is sincerity and honesty there. She is a very brave person, Ian....
I won't be surprised if i read this piece again and again. To me, its timeless and priceless.Thank you for sharing.

Alid

This as I said was 42 years ago the little girl will be always with me, one day I will be there someplace and this little girl will run to me calling "Poppy."
Thanks for your second visit and your grand comment, Jane will know of your thoughts, Yours Ian.T

.
There are a million reasons to believe in yourself,
So find more reasons to believe in others..

author comment
(c) Neopoet.com. No copyright is claimed by Neopoet to original member content.