All the Small Things

The Baby

It was a warm and sunny day,

When I took my babies walking.

We were excited to explore,

And see what we could see…

Discovering new things everywhere,

We came upon an apple tree.

So, I stopped to rest, as I was tired,

And I spied a wide, flat stone,

In amongst the briars,

Which had sprung up thick, and grown,

All around the base of that old apple tree.

As I parted the thorny vines,

I saw some weathered lettering,

Beneath a crust of moss and dirt.

"Barbara Ellen Coleman," it said,

Then the dates of death and birth.

She was just a little baby,

Only a few months old,

Laid to rest and then forgotten

In that orchard, long ago.

So, I cleared away the briars,

And raked away the leaves,

I scrubbed away the moss,

Planted flowers on her grave,

And made her final resting place,

A little nicer for the babe.

Author Notes

This is actually a true story, although I cannot remember the baby's exact first and middle names, I do absolutely know her last name.

© Tawn Hoffman. All rights reserved.