You came to me with remorse and regret
Your admission to a misguided act
Upon your face lived both worry and fret
Honesty moved me to calmly react
Remembering the youthful smile you wore
When times were much happier than today
You deserved wonderful greetings and more
In Heaven I hope you forever play
Thinking of my son departing the bus
Noticing that some songs were never sung
Yet, your spirit highly soared among us
Tragic is the tale of a life lost young
Today I wipe away another tear
I am haunted by a sad look of fear
© Christopher Chronister 11/28/2025
Nov 28, 2025
Nov 28, 2025 at 11:52 AM UTC
Playing with the other children fights start
Mother left you to play for a moment
Forever weighing heavy on her heart
A shopping trip that two parents lament
Shyness prevented you from speaking out
When security told kids to disperse
Standing all alone with both fear and doubt
And tragically your story got much worse
Your tragedy drove a grieving father
To save other children who went missing
Legislation was passed in your honor
Nothing saddens like kids disappearing
With a lasting impact on a nation
Parenting changed from harsh realization
© Christopher Chronister 12-5-24
Dec 5, 2024
Dec 5, 2024 at 11:23 AM UTC
Another moment of me dealing with where I’m at
Needing to feel grounded and knowing that I’m still here
Xeroxing more functional versions of myself
Intruding on personally perceived reality
Emotional states then carry me away
Time simultaneously crawls and speeds, adding to my panic.
Yielding to feelings of helplessness
© 11/9/24, Christopher Chronister
Nov 9, 2024
Nov 9, 2024 at 11:05 AM UTC
Attempting to pull someone you love out
Extending your hand during the descent
Remembering love. the voice halts the shout
Yet feeling guilty for what you lament
I struggle to hold things together now
Panic and depression are feeding me
Wanting to cry for help but don't know how
Wondering what people around me see
Trying to reconcile both of our pain
There is no denying that we both hurt
About to leave but love has me refrain
Needing screams without sounding an alert
Acknowledging struggles I remain strong
Feeling whatever action I take is wrong
© 2024, Christopher Chronister
Oct 30, 2024
Oct 30, 2024 at 4:18 PM UTC
Activities are taken for granted
Levels of trusting in entertainment
What happens when the trust is supplanted
When child safety should be the attainment
You loved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
And enjoyed playing flag football with friends
Now a community faces hurdles
After the tragedy of young life ends
Five years is not a long time on this Earth
But you made your mark on all you had met
With a family loving you since birth
Something Maryland should never forget
Declan, in your playful jumps to the moon
Heaven received an angel way too soon
© Christopher Chronister 8/5/2024
Aug 5, 2024
Aug 5, 2024 at 11:46 AM UTC
Refusing to catch a film with my dad
I had more important things to do then
Constantly arguing and being mad
Protecting the reputation of men
Not sure we ever forgave each other
For growing up and for getting older
Former best friends fighting under cover
An audacity to become bolder
A childhood of amazing memories
Which cannot be dismissed as nostalgia
Turned into teenaged years of fantasies
And an emotional diaspora
In struggling to be a better son
Being a father can help me be one
© Christopher Chronister 09/18/2023
Sep 18, 2023
Sep 18, 2023 at 5:27 PM UTC
You were always missed while you were away
We assumed if there was time to make up
Certainly we would have another day
Today I will drink from a guilty cup
I ponder my availability
Did I extend my hand often enough
If teasing occurred over empathy
Projecting the image of being tough
Today on my mind like never before
Was there failure in communication
Could I have reached out to my dear friend more
I'll end my letter with hesitation
Now praying there is indeed a heaven
When eight feels longer than twenty-seven
Mar 22, 2023
Mar 22, 2023 at 9:45 PM UTC
After only five short years on this Earth
Your young life was tragically ended
Forced to enact resilience since birth
Abused when a parent was offended
Thinking on your great possibilities
General wasn't allowed to command
The world was robbed of your abilities
As a child was denied a loving hand
Questioning everything worldly I kneel
Darkness descends as light flickers away
Hearts fragmented from this story will heal
Tearful eyes dry while other children play
Heaven's population is adjusted
When children are hurt by those they trusted
© Christopher Chronister, March 2022
Mar 20, 2022
Mar 20, 2022 at 1:10 AM UTC
Hopeful energy radiates from you
Therapy mended this fragmented heart
Now I have found blissful love that is true
I'll try to return that love, for my part
To provide you with warmth is my life's goal
Before you came, loneliness was my plight
I'm lucky I found the mate of my soul
In darkness it was you who showed me light
Upon your birth, the world became better
On your life's journey, many hearts you've touched
Time with you sparked this birthday love letter
We are grateful for the love you have bunched
Your smile is the way I now see life
Happy birthday to my beautiful wife
© Feb. 2022, Christopher Chronister
Feb 10, 2022
Feb 10, 2022 at 10:18 PM UTC
When at once in the dark I was alone
Lost I was and unable to find me
Loneliness is what my heart had been shown
And desolation my two eyes did see
The sorrow that was building became rage
And fire within me surely did grow
I imprisoned myself inside this cage
Making my tears evermore slowly flow
The pain you bestowed upon me with lies
Has been reborn and now it is named hate
For everything about you I despise
An end is what I patiently await
I will rubricate this last song of mine
And know, an encore I will disincline
© Christopher Chronister
Oct 19, 2021
Oct 19, 2021 at 4:17 PM UTC