A Birthday Sonnet For My Daughter

You, daughter, and I are apart
By physical distance.
By directions of the heart.
By life’s circumstance.

By twists and turns
Caused by poor choices made;
By hard lessons not learned;
By words said and unsaid.

Yet in my heart, mind and soul,
You dwell with me.
Everywhere I go,
You’re with me constantly.

No matter how far apart we may roam
In my heart you’ll always have a home.

Watching, Helpless, My Daughter Die: Revolutionary Improv Sonnet Lament

I’m watching my daughter die.
She’s starving her body to death.
Why can’t I even cry?
Why can’t I barely draw a breath?

What brought her to this bleak abyss?
Does it really matter?
All I know is that she’d be missed;
My world would be much sadder.

So I’m putting aside my selfish ways,
my lack of focus and my pride.
I will spend my talents and days
in efforts to fix her dying insides.

Was I responsible for her ills? I now don’t care.
But I know I’ll be at fault if I just leave them there.