When Grief Visits at 4 AM

The visitation times are posted,
daytime hours only.
Do not disturb grievers after 10 pm,
for they need time to rest and recover
But grief doesn’t respect the artifice of time,
arbitrary schedules society places on when we’re allowed to grieve.
“Love,” it says, “I know you’d rather be sleeping,
and this is an inconvenient time to visit,
but sit with me for a while.”
So, I lie in bed,
wrapped in my blankets,
pull out my notes app and write you a letter.
Tears snake down my face,
a welcome release from the pain in my chest.
And just like that, grief releases its hold,
bids me goodnight and disappears into the ether.