Good bye to what is dear,
tight chest,
uncomfortable stress,
shallow breathing,
long sighs,
looking away,
staring blankly,
in memory living again,
holding tightly
to what is already gone,
the end comes.
Even if eternity is waiting
and right choices have been made,
and time is short
with so much more ahead,
the end here,
on this earth,
still comes,
there is nothing to be done.
Now it's remembrance,
and a vacant place,
odd turnings to speak,
to reach for,
to share,
but no one is there.
Yes, it is only for awhile,
and hope is brilliant, alive,
and reunion is sure, anticipated,
and, yes, there is no fear.
For now acceptance
is what must be,
a continuing,
grabbing hold of today,
and living with passion.
Live!
And in that living,
passionate, alive living,
it's still okay,
it's a wonderful thing,
a good thing,
I think,
a kind of honoring,
to sit back,
now and then,
with long sighs,
and stares to nowhere,
and to remember.
Copyright Joy Chastagner June 2009
5 comments:
Well, I wrote this poem with the thoughts about saying good bye to those we love who have passed away. When I had Fred read it, he asked why I wrote about a heart attack. I said, "What!?! Where in the world did you pick up reference to a heart attack?" I turned and looked at the posting, and sure enough, it said, "tight chest, uncomfortable stress, shallow breathing." Yikes! It sounded like I was a person having a heart attack and saying good bye!
Well, that's not quite what I was aiming for, but decided to leave it anyways. I guess it might sound a bit depressing, I was definitely not aiming for depressing, but there is a felt absence that never quite goes away, and we must continue to engage, and live well, and it's a good thing, a kind of honoring to remember the ones we love.
Live and love!
Joy
This is a lovely poem, Joy. Strangely, I did not think of a heart attack! Once I read your comment, though, I could see why Fred could have gone there. :)
I'm a writer too, and I've tried my hand at poetry.
Alas, I suck.
Loved yours, though.
Take care,
Daisy
who's absence love?
I miss my Daddy and grandma's....
and yet we go on.
tears and hugs.
Beautiful, Joy! I cannot wrap my brain around how you can convey such deep thoughts in phrases not more than three or four words before a comma. A poet I am not, but you surely are.
Shawn
Thank you for your encouragements! I so appreciate them, they give me little pushes to keep working at it!
much love
Joy
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