They will tell you
About the five stages of grief
And how you're supposed to feel.
But they don't tell you
That none of it is real.
.
They won't tell you how to lie,
Or talk about the mask you wear,
Or explain how to fake it,
How to pretend to go through the process,
So that one day,
Everyone will think you're okay.
.
No one will teach you how to cry when you should,
And laugh when it's alright again.
"Everyone is different," they claim.
So am I broken?
.
Maybe you really do get mad.
Maybe you really do cry.
Maybe you really do move on.
.
I don't. I can't.
.
I never denied it, I was never angry, I never fought it, I never cried.
I still haven't accepted it.
.
I thought that I would fill up,
With sadness or anger,
Or a thousand other emotions.
Instead, I hollowed out.
.
There's a cavern in my soul,
This massive, empty expanse,
And it keeps growing and growing and growing,
Until I'm more empty than whole.
.
The blackness doesn't hurt,
Which might surprise me,
If I could feel it.
But I can't.
I don't feel anything.
.
The darkness is never satisfied.
It devours everything,
My tears, my happiness, all but its own cold numbness,
And I think it might eat me too.
.
The hole in my heart keeps spreading,
Until all I have is one small corner
To hold onto.
I fight for that piece,
I struggle for that one little bit of me that can still feel.
.
It's useless.
I'm trying to stop a tsunami with one hand,
An earthquake with a stomp,
Lightning with willpower.
.
Tears, screams, pain.
None of them fill the hole.
.
I can't hold on.
.
I don't want to lose.
.
So I let go.
...
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125,007 Literary Works • 672,814 Reviews
Wow, this is such a powerful piece of writing... I truly felt a connection to it if I'm being honest. I can relate and feel your pain through your words. I too have majorly struggled with some losses/deaths in my family - whether it be my own daughter, or my nana who was ultimately my best friend, loss is NEVER easy. I like the way you formulated your words and expressed them here, I commend you for that because it was relatable, and I truly felt like you were describing how I felt word for word through this piece. Keep up the great work, and never stop writing. - Kadeelyn
Beautiful piece, there is a certain melody flowing through the whole poem, keeping the interest of the reader. The imagery is well chosen, and very indicative of the powerlessness you feel in the face of things not going any better.
The progression in itself really carries across the way one feels in the face of grief, that slow, painful, losing battle against something so overwhelming that any thought of holding your ground is ridiculous, even though everyone tells you "it is going to be okay".
What's more, the uneven length of the stanzas really mimics the erratic thought process in those situations, and contributes to keeping the whole thing organic and make it feel real, almost tangible.
My opinion on your situation is that you probably get better, eventually, Quite the original statement, I know. You won't notice it, you won't even believe it will get better one day. But, you will probably wake up one day, and realize that you actually have the strength to go forward. The pain won't ever go away, but you will have learned to live with it, and the good memories won't hurt as much anymore.
Thank you for capturing the way grief really feels!
I know the feelings you feel. The hollow emptiness is exactly what I felt as well. Its like you said, all consuming and infinitely deep. My father passed away last year. I really like this poem because it captures the essence of grief in a truthful and honest way. When my father died I tried to write poetry about it but I could never get the explanation of grief just right. I said I felt hollow and empty but I could never emote further than that. The feelings are just so complicated. I think you have done an amazing job at capturing those feelings in a poem. I can relate to it so I think this gives me a window into the poem and what it means. I certainly haven't moved on, he lingers in the back of my mind on the lazy days and pops into my head before I go sleep and when I wake up he greets me with his silence. But I can tell you that it stops being a bad thing eventually. You will one day look upon memories with fondness and remembrance instead of grief and despair. I can't say for sure if this a review or a response to your poem. I just hope it helps you with how you feel. I do really like your metaphors involving weather and the like. The feedback I can give is to capitalize in the right places. I noticed a few small errors but you aren't an idiot, its just mistakes. I really do wish you the best and I won't tell you to pull yourself together, that's just something people say because they don't understand. Real advice is to take it day by day, and just carry on as best as you can. Secure in the knowledge that one day you will feel better.