About the same time Jane Crane gave me Bob’s poem (see Song 392 – No One To Call Me Son), we went to a Temple and Family History Consultant’s Fireside, where Craig Barrick shared a poem written by his 5th great-grandfather’s, David Walton’s, daughter-in-law, about her child who died. Brother Barrick had a granddaughter named Katlin who unexpectedly died when she was 4 years old. I got Brother Barrick to give me a copy of the poem, The day after I heard this poem, on August 29th, 2016, I wrote this song on my i-Pad. “This lonely heart now bids me speak, Of my poor Emma Jane, She died in tender infancy, Though from exceeding pain.” Grandma Nelson’s first name was Emma. I was very close to Grandma Nelson when I was growing up (see Song 374 – To Me, My Farm Is). The poem was obviously already tearing at my heart strings. We had heard Michael and Amy Barrick talk about their ongoing pain from losing their daughter Katlin. Because of this I knew Craig Barrick’s pain. “A reflection across the ages, Of a grandfather’s pain, Innocence rages, Like thunderstorms and rain” (see Song 078 – Rain). As I read the words, I can feel the pain of baby Emma Jane who lay in severest agony for five weeks. “A grandmother’s pain.” Only 15 months and “She just began to lisp the words, Her tender parents taught,” “A parent’s pain.” Even her “young and thoughtless” brother found “a brother’s pain.” “To her father she reached her little hands, With countenance so mild,” “a father’s pain.” Imagine “Them tender arms around my neck, O’ how can I forget,” “a mother’s pain.” Seeing death draw nigh describes “a sister’s pain.” “In the cold grave her body was laid, Her spirit gone to heaven, Trust we all will meet her there, When the clouds of life are risen, A reflection across the ages, Of a grandfather’s pain.” There is so much we can learn from words of the heart written about someone only 15 months old, like Emma Jane.
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