This poem is a consolidation of work I have done around grief and its integration into the fabric of living. Ultimately, grief is to me part of what underpins joy; with practice, we can access joy in grief.

I was asked by someone to contribute a piece about grief for an anthology, though at present this seems to be on hold. This was where the prompt led me.

It connects to themes explored in previous posts, In every emotion a passage to joy and Joy and delight in challenging times.

Who am I?

I am gift, not curse;
through me you honour what you love.

I am a constant thread
in the wondrous weave of life.

At times I am a murmuring melody,
at others a clamouring crescendo.

I do not take you hostage;
I sculpt your soul

and hollow you out,
exposing hidden depths.

What is broken apart, unmade,
I make anew.

Through me you understand
that all things pass.

Without me,
neither love nor compassion bloom.

I ripen your heart
to the great work of love.

I connect you
to Life’s currents, to the commons of the soul.

I shout in joyous affirmation
of the great gift of Life.

I am Grief.

I wait for your embrace . . .

Gina Bearne, July 2024

A book that I found very helpful and that held particular resonance for me is The Wild Edge of Sorrow – Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief by Francis Weller