Losing A Loved One

Losing a loved one is hell on Earth.

The first time you cry is hard.

It feels as if your soul has shattered
and so, you weep from the sadness that
cascades from its shards.

The first night is even harder.

You do nothing but lie in your bed,
staring at the ceiling as your body is
wracked by the pain of a thousand
heartbreaks.

And so you cry until you no longer feel
the warmth of your tears soaking your cheeks,
and even then, you heave dry sobs into the
darkness.

Months pass. You attend the funeral,
speak at their burial and think you’ve
healed.

Then one day, something small reminds
you of them, of their smile, of a memory you
shared.

And you are back where you started.

But this time, you open your heart to
the pain. You don’t fight it.

Because you know, as long as you feel
it, as long as you grieve the loss of their
light, you honor them and the mark they left
on the world through way of your heart.

So this time, you take a pencil and
open your notebook. How better to honor
them than by keeping their memory alive?

And you hope, as you press the lead of
your pencil to the blankness of your paper,
that you can begin the process of healing.

And you hope, eventually, you will
become okay with that.

– D.L.

Grief the Monster

Grief is a monster that comes knocking
when the world grows quiet.

It takes hold of your mind, digging its
inky claws into the soft crevices of your
dearest memories, wiping away the golden
tinge of innocence and replacing it with
blackened edges.

It drains the world of color, blurring
the lines of black and white until everything
looks like an endless void of grey.

Your heart aches with pain from wounds
that freely flow, your soul tired from
screaming:

I am here but not here.

And so you run from Grief, biding your
time as your swallow the lumps in your throat
and blink away the tears that collect in your
eyes.

Food has no taste. Sleep is no longer a
requirement. Love has all but dissipated,
depression slowly seeping in as you tire of
running.

And so Grief sits beside you, quiet as
he takes your hand and whispers within the
deep recesses of your mind:

I will sit with you as long as you need,
for I am love that hath no home.

– D.L.

A Note to the Grieving

Losing a loved one is hell on Earth, but
Grief is not the enemy. Grief is not
something to push away or ignore. It will
always return, for Grief is love that hath no
home.

Celebrate that love. Remember that light.
Allow the tears to fall as they may, forgive
yourself for being human, and love yourself
enough to begin to heal.

– D.L

Edited by Savvy Sleevar | ssleevar@themaneater.com