A small wooden cross lingers on the side of this back county road
Tiny compared to the enormous world that it exists in
Weathered, beaten by the wind
Soaked and flooded in the rain
Faded by the blinding sun
But somehow remains standing and sturdy
Teddy bear clings to the cross
His stitching all but come undone
His fur black from the exhaust fumes of passing vehicles
Passed by on a daily bases but never noticed
Ignored by the cruel world that caused its presence
To mark the place a last breath was taken
To mark that a life was torn away from his mother
A life that now is only represented by this roadside grave
Faded decaying flowers
Blown down the road decorating the harsh gravel lining the path
Once beautiful colors not ***** and stained
Sadness washes over me as I pull to the side
To ponder what that life could have been
To imagine how he may look now
How his voice would sound, how his smile would brighten the room
There may be only one visitor to this pitiful sight
But that one visitor would give her own life to change places
Each roadside memorial has a story
Has a heart and soul and energy of those lives taken in that spot
Don't just pass them by
Stop for just a moment and pay respect to the love that still remains
The love that will never die