Here’s a poem written by a woman in one of my bereavement groups. (The Rodin is my addition) She wrote this poem shortly after her husband of many years died. She says she takes it out every so often now and reads it again and just the act of reading it helps her. It very nicely describes the process of grief, which has nothing to do with “closure,” but in which we struggle to move forward, holding close the memory, and trying to find meaning in the loss:
RESILIENCE
Life has led me to this moment
Life has led me to this place
I am alone
Like a solitary tree on a windswept hill.
I am buffeted by surges of grief, yearning, anxiety
As I bend with each assault my heart aches
My soul cries
But there is no solace, no relief
I have lost my anchor
I have lost my way
You were my constant companion
You were my guide
Like a cloak
Your love enveloped me
Your love shielded me
From loneliness and isolation
Now, without you, I must decide
To either bend and break
Or struggle and gather strength
To stand strong and live, if only to remember you.
Karen Habra