This poem, “Can You Hear Me, Papa?”, explores peace through remembrance — the quiet, evolving peace that follows loss. It reflects the inner journey from grief to acceptance, from aching absence to a gentle presence carried within. The poem doesn’t seek closure through forgetting, but peace through connection — through the belief that love transcends time, distance, and even death. In the poet’s voice, we hear the universal longing to know that those we’ve lost still see us, still guide us, still remain part of our story.
Eden used to call her late grandfather as ‘Papa’, who was her role model too. She herself has been diagnosed with a chronic illness this past year and is bed-bound, at her home. In her words, “Writing is my escape and my passion all wrapped into one”. This poem reminds us that peace is not the absence of sorrow, but the gentle understanding that love never truly leaves.
Can you hear me, Papa?
Can you hear me, Papa?
Can you hear me?
I need to know—can you hear me?
Can you see me?
Are you watching over me?
Can you see Mom and Dad?
Do you know they are fifty now?
Can you hear me, Papa?
Can you hear me?
It’s been six years—do you know?
Do you know that we live in your old house now?
Can you see us?
We keep growing.
We keep aging.
We keep living— even without you here.
It’s hard.
It felt impossible at first,
for life to go on
and you not with us.
But it did.
It still does.
With time,
the hole you left
in my heart began to heal—
not completely,
and maybe it never will.
Not a day passes when you don’t cross my mind,
when your name doesn’t rise in conversation.
It used to hurt—
those early years—
but now I smile at the memories.
I even cherish them.
Everyone still speaks fondly of you.
Do you know the impact you left?
Not just on us,
but on every life
you touched.
Can you hear me, Papa?
Can you hear me?
There aren’t enough words
for how much we miss you.
If I could be
even one tenth of who you were,
that would be something.
I love you—
forever and always.
I reach my hands out
and hope
you hear our calls.
Can you hear me, Papa?
Can you hear me?
I hope you can.
Poet Details
- Eden Waltz
- Florida, USA
- 21 years old
