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Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Waves of Grief



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 The waves of grief rolled in,
I bobbing in my little boat
along their peaks and valleys.
Times, I thought their fierceness 
would swamp my fragile craft,
but I plunged on and 
somehow stayed aright.

 Times, all I could see
was greyness in all directions,
with no horizon
to help me make my way.

At others, there was a flatness  to everything.
I could see which way to go,
but had no wish to travel.

 The waves of grief eventually lessen,
but sorrow never leaves us.
Our departed loves come to live in our hearts.
We make a hallowed space for them there,
safe within the temple of our being,
ours now, only ours.
As the rest of the world moves on
and slowly forgets,
we will carry them with us, always,
till our last breath.

 for Sumana's prompt at Mid-Week Motif : Waves
at

26 comments:

  1. annell4May 13, 2015 at 12:10 PM

    This brought tears to my eyes!

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  2. Sanaa RizviMay 13, 2015 at 1:05 PM

    This is so beautiful... left me speechless!
    Lots of love
    xoxo

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  3. AnonymousMay 13, 2015 at 1:38 PM

    Yes, grief as white water rafting that flattens out to an aching monotony. Lovely.

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  4. SusanMay 13, 2015 at 1:41 PM

    Oh, wow. (pause) We must know, somehow, that the love we feel for our dead is returned, that it keeps a frail boat afloat in a changing sea:
    "Times, I thought their fierceness
    would swamp my fragile craft,
    but I plunged on and
    somehow stayed aright."

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  5. De JacksonMay 13, 2015 at 1:48 PM

    YES. So well said, Sherry.

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  6. CloudiaMay 13, 2015 at 2:45 PM

    And so it is.




    ( '>
    /))
    //""

    ALOHA from Honolulu,
    ComfortSpiral
    =^..^=

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  7. Old EggMay 13, 2015 at 2:55 PM

    We certainly don't need to go searching for them for they are with us always...which is of course a two edged sword of both comfort and pain.

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  8. Eileen T O'Neill .....May 13, 2015 at 4:58 PM

    Sherry,

    Grief does toss our emotions around, as though on the high seas. Grasping us and sending us into a wave of highs and lows..I do like to think that in spite of the pain of grief, that our loved ones can still be aware that we care..A hard subject very delicately contained in your poem Sherry.
    Eileen

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  9. Debi SwimMay 13, 2015 at 6:04 PM

    As the rest of the world moves on
    and slowly forgets,
    we will carry them with us, always,
    till our last breath.... yes, this is true. You did this with a light touch, Sherry.

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  10. XMay 13, 2015 at 6:56 PM

    We do. There are those that touch our lives and leave a mark thart we will carry with us. Memory, but much deeper than that as well.

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  11. MaryMay 13, 2015 at 8:14 PM

    Yes, Sherry, we will carry the grief....but yes, the waves of grief will also lessen. Or they will not be so intense. Or so often. We do have to move on with the rest of the world. We just must.

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  12. rallentandaMay 13, 2015 at 9:37 PM

    Written from your big heart. Just wonderful. Ride the wave babe...you can all fit on the surf board together..cackling all the way...third finger salute to the rest of the world...thus spake Rallentanda !

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  13. Myrna R.May 13, 2015 at 10:07 PM

    "I could see which way to go, but had no wish to travel." This sentence struck me as the way I experience grief. I think you captured the feelings so well Sherry. I know your family is going through this now. It is so difficult. Good to write about it thoug, it helps a little.

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  14. ClaudiaMay 14, 2015 at 12:30 AM

    carrying those we loved with us while the rest of the world moves on... so true... it is tough to lose a loved one... hugs...

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  15. Sumana RoyMay 14, 2015 at 4:51 AM

    "we will carry them with us, always, / till our last breath."...so hard and so True...

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  16. Rosemary Nissen-WadeMay 14, 2015 at 5:57 AM

    Well, of course you know I could echo every word! Thank you for writing this, Sherry; I think you write it on behalf of many.

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  17. DonnaMay 14, 2015 at 5:58 AM

    Sherry this is incredible and coming on the heels of your interview with Sumana, it is a wonderful follow up...yes they live in our hearts...

    'Our departed loves come to live in our hearts.
    We make a hallowed space for them there,
    safe within the temple of our being,
    ours now, only ours.'

    tears flow each time I read this...thank you for these beautiful words.

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  18. PanchaliMay 14, 2015 at 7:20 AM

    "The waves of grief eventually lessen,
    but sorrow never leaves us.
    Our departed loves come to live in our hearts.
    We make a hallowed space for them there,
    safe within the temple"..
    So well said, Sherry. While reading the poem, I was thinking about the Nepal tragedy...soul- stirring piece. Beautiful....thank you for sharing.

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  19. humbirdMay 14, 2015 at 9:27 AM

    I know, the loved ones settle in our hearts forever....hugs

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  20. WolfsrosebudMay 14, 2015 at 3:54 PM

    nice take on the prompt and i do like that little boat

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  21. UnknownMay 14, 2015 at 4:22 PM

    Sometimes there isn't even the will to bail out the overflowing tears.
    Lovely and tender Sherry

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  22. PeggyMay 14, 2015 at 9:06 PM

    What a completely beautiful poem Sherry.

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  23. Jae RoseMay 15, 2015 at 5:37 AM

    So much to identify with in this wonderful poem... we must try to strive..like waves moving in and away from shore..but still 'breathing'

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  24. Gen Giggles May 17, 2015 at 5:16 AM

    What an wonderful expression. I never thought of it that was but yes, I do keep them in a hollowed space.

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  25. IntelliblogMay 21, 2015 at 10:08 PM

    Just as the storm abates, just as the mighty waves of grief threaten to overcome us, the calm follows the storm and our grief becomes ripples. The sea is never still, grief never completely disappears, we just learn to live with it, Sherry. This poem spoke very strongly to me, personally.

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  26. grapelingMay 23, 2015 at 12:11 AM

    i'm struck by how light is both a wave and a particle, and how we are, too - apart from, yet a part of, that grey ~

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