It was so easy to get swept up in the emotions of each of these pieces describing life, living and loss. The accompanying music video to Ivor’s piece is such a complement to both poems. May you experience a rich fullness reading and listening to the music as I did.

Grief by Shweta Suresh

Grief is a powerful feeling  
They say it has seven stages  
I don’t know about that  
But I strongly believe  
That grief is like the waves,  
In a turbulent sea.  
It comes and goes  
But it sustains, In a never-ending manner.  
It grips your heart,  
Forces you to have Ups and downs  
Over and over again.  
It creates new wounds  
But often, grief rips open  
Old healed wounds too.  
No matter how hard you try,  
You can’t run away,  
From its clutches  
Grief will always find you  
Though it might take a while,  
It will eventually hit you With an impact worse  
Than a ground-shattering earthquake, or,  
Even an ear-splitting thunderstorm.  
Grief is like a sharp knife,  
That’s permanently  
lodged In your heart,  
That twists painfully, each time  
A familiar memory washes over you.  
It comes and goes,  
With varying intensities  
Just like the waves in the sea.  
No matter how hard you run,  
Grief is hard to shake off 

Existence and Renewal by Ivor Steven

Keep your cup full
Turn the power on
Follow the moonlight
Fall across the lawn
Heed her call at dawn
“Life is a marathon”

The renewal of nature
Leaves footprints upon desert sands
And with His hand in Her hand
Existence grows from our lands