Receive a Personalized Poem for the loss of a Pregnancy or Newborn

The impact of words and thoughts at these difficult times of loss are universal. Sometime ago, I received a note from a father who just had lost his prematurely born daughter to the condition called twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. One twin died in utero and the remaining twin was born at 25 weeks, gravely ill and on life support systems in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit. After a brave but futile struggle, she, too, died. Her father contacted me from England, asking if I could suggest some words to read at the memorial service for his children. I sent a few lines to him and his bereaved wife. In their reply I learned that they placed these words upon the headstone of their twins' grave:

Let us not succumb to this portent,
The solstice of our darkest hour.
For it is but a finite point
Upon an infinite journey
Which began with all creation and
Upon whose path walk
The souls of our children;
Pure as the silence of the virgin winter,
Alive with winds of indomitable hope"


Poetry enables me to ask why even when we already understand how. It permits me as a Doctor of Medicine, witness to the frailties of our humanity, to abet healing through the very core of what makes us human, ur language and our personal emotions. It is my platform to tell my 'stories', to honor my patients, my friends, my family and indeed, the essence of humanity, the "family of man". It is my hope that offering these very personal poems to the users of Hygeia for their own or to be shared with friends and family will bring solace,comfort and hope at this most difficult of times.

Here you can Receive an original poem to comfort and support you upon your loss or a family member, friend or colleague. Each poem is redeicated to someone you choose. This is a pro bono service from Maternl.org in an effort to share words to help those who are bereaved. I have written, read, sent and shared many poems with my patients and others and found them to be cathartic and healing and appreciated. I hope you will find them healing as well. Each poem addresses the universality of loss and the promise of hope. When you submit the "reason for selecting the poem", a poem which I have written on the occasion of a similar type of loss will be selected. It is an honor to rededicate this poem for you and / or for the person(s) you are memorializing.

Although the poem is offerred to you pro bono, I am inviting you to help support the overall mission of Hygeia© with a small contribution of any amount. This can be done directly through the Hygeia / Maternl© GOFUNDME Campaign by clicking on the logo below.

When you submit this form, it will be randomly coded with a unique access code which will be immediately sent to you by the email address you submitted when you registered. You will need the access code to obtain your poem.

Enter your email address:



Enter the first name of the mother, father or child to whom you would like the poem personalized and dedicated:



Select a reason for requesting the poem-First lines are shown (only one poem can be requested at a time)


Theme: Pregnancy Loss(Miscarriage, Stillbirth)
First lines: "In my home, you were my light..."


Theme: Recurrent or multiple Pregnancy losses
First lines: "Sadness moistens my brow like mist..."


Theme: Prematurity
First lines: "I have born my soul to God, my child..."


Theme: Neonatal Death
First lines: "My tears are watermarks..."


Theme: Infant Death
First lines: "I have shed my garments..."



You may also select a poem from my Library and send me an email request to create this personalized poem.
CLICK HERE to read and select addition poems

CLICK HERE to send me a message including to whom the poem should be personalized for (dedicated to, in honor of, or in memory of).


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Please consider a contribution in any amount to support this service