Promises to Drew
Drew, I held your hand
as you left the world behind,
and I made promises to you.
I never cry…I stopped crying long ago,
but I am crying now as I remember.
Some promises I have kept
better than others.
I like to think you would be happy
with the way your autobiography turned out.
Your brother Mitch finished your book.
Your mother and I supported his efforts
for more than a year.
The Don Quixote in a wheelchair
that Mitch drew for you in high school
is on the cover.
I know you would approve.
I promised to raise our children
as you would have wanted
them to be raised, and I did my best.
Our children are grown up now,
and the struggles of life continue.
We have cherished our memories of you.
Our children remember your wise advice
and try to follow your example…
You left some pretty big shoes for us to fill!
I have made a new promise
for our grown-up children:
I will be their mother till the day I die
and always love them as I always loved you.
I know that you would be happy
that I have found someone to grow old with,
as you wished me to do.
He is someone I know you would like.
Drew, I wish I could have done more
to keep my promises to you.
I hope you would approve
of the things I have done.
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
Drew’s autobiography, Wisdom from a Chair: Thirty Years of Quadriplegia, by Andrew Batavia and Mitchell Batavia is available on Amazon.
Gulf Coast Poet 