Grief Is...
A poem about grief.
grief is…
a single tear
falling in the darkness
where no one else can see.
being cracked open
a dry ache inside us
wishing for relief.
grief is…
awareness
it’s not as it should be,
amidst the storm
tossing and turning
seeking comfort
finding emptiness.
grief is…
empty arms
disoriented hearts
full minds
absently moving forward
one step at a time.
the world stops
time stands still
words and thoughts become
this time last week
or month
or year.
grief is…
the barrier
keeping us from air.
it’s hard to breathe
and hard to see
a life
where you’re not there.
grief is…
thick
like fog
it’s dense, and cold, and damp
sticking to your skin.
unfulfilled plans
unnoticed rituals
moments we took for granted
now glaringly obvious.
grief is…
anger
swift and sure
like lightning
surging within your body.
how come?
what happened?
why?
did you have to go already?
grief is…
heavy and weighted
a blanket
obscuring us from life.
it stays
and lingers
til we embrace it
recovering ourselves within.
grief is..
unconcerned
with status, wealth, or age
it comes for all
to endure.
we are filled with it
emptied by it
placed on a schedule
not our own.
grief is…
a new day
a new chapter
a memory held dear
a deep well
a tall mountain
a beginning and an end
a life lived
a love shared
a rearranging
a person never the same again.
Questions to Ponder
Did anything stand out to you?
How did it feel in your body?
How might you welcome it, and listen to what this feeling is sharing with you?
Hint
I’m in the process of updating my Substack account, and at the moment you have access to a lot of my past writing. Take a look through while you can!
