Born Still But Not Silent

By Cynthia A. DiTaranto

“Forty-three years have passed since I birthed a stillborn daughter. The experience has been burnished in my soul morphing my being in a manner difficult to express. My poems are my gift to myself and my still daughter, those traveling the same path and others desiring insight into our world. According to the National Institute of Health, since 2003 stillbirths in the United States have remained at about 26,000 each year. This figure does not include loss from miscarriage and other causes of infant mortality. I offer my work as a means to reach out to others through poetry. As stillbirth research expands through the March of Dimes and universities such as Brown through the U.S. Department of Health, support and organizations grow such as Angel Names Association to assist those that have been touched by stillbirth. My poetry collection provides a compassionate comfort by offering my journey into the dark, still night where my daughter met me. We returned together.” – Author

• Language: English
• Publisher: Adelaide Books Publishers
• Release date: Oct 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9781953510518

Cynthia A. DiTaranto

Cynthia A. DiTaranto left an eclectic work related past behind allowing creativity to usher forth—reading, writing and painting fills her personal space. She holds a B.A. in sociology and a M.A.T. In addition to her two color-illustrated children’s books she has been published in a variety of venues including: Narrative Northeast Literary and Art Review, With Painted Words and Synesthesia Literary Journal. She is a member of the Art Association of Roxbury; The Write Stuff, a local writing group and resides in New Jersey.

Book preview

To Sonya

and her world of stillness, for it is in this world of

stillness where my answers were found.

and

to all the empty cradles…………..

and

the rest of my family

BORN STILL BUT NOT SILENT

A collection of poems

By Cynthia A. DiTaranto

Copyright © by Cynthia A. DiTaranto

Cover design © 2020 Adelaide Books

Published by Adelaide Books, New York / Lisbon

adelaidebooks.org

Editor-in-Chief

Stevan V. Nikolic

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any

manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except

in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

For any information, please address Adelaide Books

at [e-mail]

or write to:

Adelaide Books

244 Fifth Ave. Suite D27

New York, NY, 10001

ISBN-13: 978-1-953510-51-8

Illustrations:

Cover: photo of an acrylic painting by author

Sonya’s gravesite: photo taken by author

Photo of an angel drawing by Adam DiTaranto

Photo of an angel statue in a bleeding heart patch taken by author

Photo of a Victorian Mourning Pin taken by author

"Sadness is but a wall between two gardens."

Khalil Gibran

CONTENTS

Introduction

Who Am I?

State of Nothingness

Expectations

The Room

State of Unhappiness

She is Still

The Day

The Experience

No Way

Vanished Hope

Again and Again

Dark Spring

Unexpected

Boil, Boil……..

Why Me?

Envy

Return to Stardust

Time In-between

Pain of Loss

Void

Who Died?

Still Birth

Still Born

Eyes

What is Her Name?

Where is She?

Found

Rendering

Guardian

Overheard

The Messenger

Lullaby

Fire Red

Is it Contagious?

Faultless

Scattering

Birthdays

I Stand Exposed

Danger in the Air

The Bleeding Heart

Handless Maiden

Labyrinth

From the Center

Far but