Friday, February 23, 2018

The Strange Life of Grief

Grief is what we feel when we read the newspaper or watch our preferred news channel only to learn that 17 lives have been destroyed in Florida.


Grief wearies the body
It troubles the soul
It can be about life or death
Or about dreams untold.

It may speak of unspoken hopes
It can be about ideas or places
When it has us against the ropes
It keeps us longing for those other spaces.

It takes hold, sneaks up from behind.
Its clutches are strong and forceful,
It has many things to remind
And no one is respected, no one.

It comes from wherever it comes,
And it goes wherever it goes.

Grief strangles with its hands,
Squeezes the neck of joy.
Wherever it may land
While it removes the colors from the rainbow.

It makes the tastiest of
Morsels taste bland.

Grief asks a lot of questions
It gives but few answers.
It tells us not where we are destined
It forces us into chasms of hang on and let go.

Its forces are vast
And uncontrollable.
It thrives on the past
Its thirst is like the desert or a rainstorm that appears from nowhere.

Its hunger is like an
Animal that is
Lurking about looking for prey.

Grief is like the grave with
No body found down deep inside it.
Grief dulls the senses, robs one of
Words, and
Makes itself the focus as people stare.

Grief keeps us up all night
Filling us with fright.
Grief keeps us occupied all day
Creating things to hold at bay.
Grief reminds us of things we wished
Telling us that all is still amiss.
Grief beats us at every turn
Reminding us that we’ll never learn.

Grief tells us of those who are gone
Reminding us that we’re not really strong.
Grief may let us know who is here
Whispering to our  souls not to hold too near.

Grief is a circle goes round and round
Driving us all right into the ground.
Grief has no beginning or end
When it will leave can only depend.

So, I’ll continue to give voice
To the grief in my soul.
Until that day I’ll rejoice
With all its stories finally told.

Grief. A strange thing.
Grief. A very strange thing.
Grief. It gives us hope.



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