An illustration of Niobe weeping for her children.‘The Weight of a Tear’ by David D. Irby The Society June 29, 2021 Beauty, Poetry 9 Comments . A teardrop’s such a little thing, __and yet its burden varies depending on the weight of the __emotions that it carries. One’s tears of joy are very light, __yet tears of grief are heavy. And tears of love forever lost __can break a strong heart’s levee. Those tiny drops of water can __be lighter than a feather, yet heavy as a boulder when __emotions join together. It’s strange how insignificant __a teardrop may appear, but sometimes nothing weighs as much __as that one little tear. . . Dave Irby is a retired law enforcement officer and a U.S. Air Force veteran, currently living in Halifax, VA. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Trending now: 9 Responses Tonia Kalouria June 29, 2021 David, this is so lovely and like one’s tears of grief — flows so freely. Reply Sally Cook June 29, 2021 Dave — A poem, like a tear, can vary in weight. Your poem is both light and transparent as glass, yet heavy as grnite on the heart. That’s not easy to do, and I congratulate you on the excellence of your fictive artifact. Reply Russel Winick June 29, 2021 David – I love this poem. Simple, powerful, relatable. Excellent work! Reply Gail Dowler June 29, 2021 I agree with the others. Looking at your bio, and that third stanza, I’m thinking you must know about the boulders that crush my voice when I try to sing the national anthem or certain hymns. I’ll be saving this one to reread. Thank you. Reply Peg June 29, 2021 So beautiful…thank you Reply David Paul Behrens June 29, 2021 This is my kind of poem, simple and beautiful. Reply Cheryl Corey June 29, 2021 The last two stanzas affected me the most. Reply Margaret Coats July 1, 2021 A lovely short poem in ballad meter. As Sally Cook has already said, the light and deft use of the stanza form works very well with the potentially heavy topic, and you show remarkable skill in the combination, and in your title. I especially admire your conclusion, signaling the poem’s end by omitting the feminine rhymes used so well in stanzas 1 to 3. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant July 3, 2021 David, this beautifully conceived and admirably crafted poem has touched my heart with its profound message. I love it! Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Tonia Kalouria June 29, 2021 David, this is so lovely and like one’s tears of grief — flows so freely. Reply
Sally Cook June 29, 2021 Dave — A poem, like a tear, can vary in weight. Your poem is both light and transparent as glass, yet heavy as grnite on the heart. That’s not easy to do, and I congratulate you on the excellence of your fictive artifact. Reply
Russel Winick June 29, 2021 David – I love this poem. Simple, powerful, relatable. Excellent work! Reply
Gail Dowler June 29, 2021 I agree with the others. Looking at your bio, and that third stanza, I’m thinking you must know about the boulders that crush my voice when I try to sing the national anthem or certain hymns. I’ll be saving this one to reread. Thank you. Reply
Margaret Coats July 1, 2021 A lovely short poem in ballad meter. As Sally Cook has already said, the light and deft use of the stanza form works very well with the potentially heavy topic, and you show remarkable skill in the combination, and in your title. I especially admire your conclusion, signaling the poem’s end by omitting the feminine rhymes used so well in stanzas 1 to 3. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant July 3, 2021 David, this beautifully conceived and admirably crafted poem has touched my heart with its profound message. I love it! Reply
