by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

Presence

Separated by distance or time, family, friends, and that special someone are forever with us. Photo by Ruth Enyedi from Unsplash

Presence

Present with me or

absent from me, you are

always in my thoughts.

However long I may live,

I will always feel you near.

Copyright© 2021 by Cheryl Batavia

74 Comments

    1. Yes, I agree. Though I wrote the poem for Robert, who is always in my thoughts, I was also thinking of loved ones lost and friends and family far away. Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful response, Shweta. ❤ Hope all is well with you!

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Yeshu, Thank you for your lovely response. ❤ I agree with you. I still love the ones I have lost.

      I haven't seen my children in over a year. I certainly don't love them any less, but I do miss them. Soon the pandemic will be over! 🙂 All the best!

      Liked by 1 person

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  12. Stunning, and I often wonder if we don’t feel even closer after death! In that without the physical limitation of body, time, etc we might have the ability to be with our loved ones when they feel the need …

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Interesting idea, Kate! Thanks for your kind response. I certainly enjoy memories of my loved ones. Memories of my mother and her advice have been a guide to me as I age. She once told me when she saw that I was tired and had a lot of housework to do, “Take shortcuts!” I always smile when I think of that advice. 🙂 Take care!

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thank you, Kritika, for sharing your perspective and for your kind comment. “Connection of hearts” truly is magic…to me, it is immortality. 🙂

      I am doing pretty well, and I hope you are too. Have an enjoyable weekend! ❤ ❤ ❤

      Liked by 2 people

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  18. This poem was so heart-warming and beautiful in its simplicity. It’s a wonderful reminder that, even when we can’t be with those we love personally, we’ll always hold them close to our hearts. Every loving word uttered echoes forever through our mind and soul. I also think that this applies after someone passes.

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    1. What a beautiful and perceptive response, S! You made my day. ❤ Thank you so much!

      I wrote this for Robert who is always in my thoughts, for friends and relatives far away, and for those who live on in our memories.

      What is happening about getting a new power chair? I hope things are going well for you. Have a great weekend! 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. The new electric wheelchair still hasn’t arrived yet but I did just recieve some new bicycle gloves that protect my hands while wheelchair-riding. This means that I can now push myself in my manual wheelchair for much longer and much further without getting bruises and blisters on my hand which feels more freeing. I’m very happy that I have them now so I feel more content waiting for the electric wheelchair. Thanks for asking! 😊 I hope you have a great weekend too.

        Liked by 2 people

  19. Wonderful. Succinct and on point. Loved ones will always be in our hearts, even when they pass away. I have a scene expressing this idea at the end of my first novel. It didn’t occur to me until I wrote it.

    Liked by 4 people

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    1. Thank you, David, for sharing your thoughts and experience. ❤ I am so happy that you enjoyed the poem.

      Gradually, over the last few years, I have come to the realization that I still love everyone I have ever loved, near or far, living or dead. It took me a long while to understand that. I think it is interesting that this idea occurred to you while writing your first novel. I am sure that understanding enhanced your writing ❤

      Have a great weekend!

      Liked by 1 person

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  26. We have had to stay away from so many who are near and dear to us owing to this catastrophic situation brought upon us, and yet were we ever far from them? The ways of the mind and heart are so wonderful, as your beautiful poem so beautifully portrays Cheryl. How it encloses the loved ones who might physically be staying away from us within itself, reducing the distance between the lands and worlds.
    Hope you are doing great Cheryl! I hear and see good things from your side of the world. Hopefully it would be safe soon for you to be able to go outside without fear and start visiting the ones who had to remain distant due to the pandemic.

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. I have followed the news from India with great sadness, Deb. I am glad you and your family are OK. It does look like the tide is turning. Now, it seems that Australia is in the midst of another wave.

      I am fully immune now if the vaccine did its job, and Robert is just about to get his second dose. It is liberating, but I worry that so many people here have refused to get vaccinated. I fear that when winter comes, we will have another wave, possibly with variants not affected by the previous vaccines. I am hoping to see some relatives in the not too distant future.

      Thank you, Deb, for your lovely comments on the poem. It is very much appreciated! ❤ ❤ ❤ Stay safe and be happy! Have a wonderful week!

      Liked by 1 person

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  29. Your short, sweet poem speaks volumes and clearly touched a bunch of us readers. I am also becoming more and more aware of how precious it can be to have other people alive who still share memories of a dearly departed loved one — so that one can speak with them and share stories about the person who is no longer on this plane of existence.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thank you, Will, for your kind response. I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts. ❤ We live on in the creative works we have left behind, in the memories of those who knew us, and in our stories passed on. Those things, to me, are immortality. 🙂

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  30. This is a beautiful reminder of the wonders of memories, and how they can keep alive in our hearts those who are not near us. Starting a new relationship can be like this, when you want to be near each other because you are getting to know one another, and it’s like a piece is missing when you are apart.

    And those people who have been in our lives a long time, when they are no longer near, they will always be in our thoughts.

    Thank you for sharing this Cheryl. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

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