This was something good, it was magical, it was extraordinary ~ I composed this poem for the dVerse Poets shortly after my love passed away in late 2023
Grief
how can it be i am here
you have vanished
beyond my reach
decades since last we met
still i cannot forget
how we touched
how. we. were.
Praise
gifted athlete, amazing tenor
respected businessman, life of the party
irresistible you
fighting cancer with
all your might
until. you. could. not.
Solace
we were not each other's
first, nor last
undoubtedly, the best
i. knew. you knew. we knew.

I like the clear progression from grief through praise to solace, Helen, and the use of punctuation in your elegy to emphasise the feelings.
ReplyDeleteThe honesty of your words overwhelms the emotions, as I read them, and tears blur my eyes even as the love/joy, loss/pain blur into one whole, heartfelt piece you have written here. ♥
ReplyDeleteThose connections remain always alive, mourned.
ReplyDelete3 beautiful movements
ReplyDeleteMuchđź–¤love
So beautifully expressed!
ReplyDeleteOh Helen, how beautiful and poignant. And I agree with Kim, the punctuation was a staccato beat on my heart that emphasized the depth of feeling.
ReplyDeleteHelen, I like how you used the last lines of each stanza for emphasis. A love like this one only comes along once in a lifetime. I'm so sorry he was lost to you and to the world {{{HUGS}}}
ReplyDeleteThis really hit... and I agree on the punctuation
ReplyDeleteTouchingly written. To be each other's best seems like a miracle in itself.
ReplyDeleteSo sad So beautiful So you.
ReplyDeleteThe three phases make it click. That and your punctuation. Of the three the last was a little shocking.
ReplyDeleteVery poignant and beautifully written and great use of the punctuation
ReplyDeleteI totally relate! Impossible to have the sorrow without also the joy, and vice versa. And the sorrow, however piercing, a price worth paying.
ReplyDeleteYou have conveyed your loss which such careful thought - Jae
ReplyDeleteTouching and inspiring! So well-penned!
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time reading this piece and it took my breath away with how beautiful and raw it is. I'll probably read it a few more times.
ReplyDeleteThe poem evolves. So does the poet.
ReplyDeleteYes, the pace of movement through grief is adagio.
ReplyDeletePK
As others said, beautifully written. 👏
ReplyDeleteThis really hit home, Helen. Your punctuation worked well.
ReplyDelete