Peter

by Kurt Siegal (10)

I read the poem by Jon Mihalko and his message in the SIDS Survival Guide. We have a combined family of 6 children ages 7-13. Peter Scott Siegal was Paul and my first child together. He died on 2-24-00 at 3 months. Kurt, 10, wrote the following poem just before Peter's funeral.

Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2000

Peter

life, a good thing and a bad thing
you may live long and well....
or short and terrible
but sometimes there's a mix-up
sometimes you live short and well
just like my brother Peter
wasn't even as tall as a meter
a beautiful baby boy
he was so small he looked like a toy
his face filled with energy like the morning sun his play all day just in good fun
a joyous day November sixteenth it was
another little brother saying he needs a buz but aside November sixteenth there was a cruel day February 24th all life ends no time to play for that beautiful baby boy who shined like the sun does not get to wake up to a morning of fun instead he lies motionless in his bed
not even getting to move his head
there was no doubt in my mind he would have been the best if only he were still alive live through that death fest he would have been a bigger star than that North Star his worst shot in golf would be a par
his eyes were filled with happiness and light they would have lit up a cold dark night he would have been the best of all time sooner or later he would have been on the dime but after this there is no more baby Peter so after this I say Good Night.

- Kurt Siegal

I know the children are hurting more than they are sharing with us. They have been reaching out to comfort us.