Beautiful Bittersweet Life Poems

Exploring the world of life and grief through poetry.

Category: Self Expression

  • She Lives in Me

    She Lives in Me

    For Mom

    I breathe in your essence,
    what you’ve infused into my soul.
    I miss your embrace and the sound of your voice.
    And yet, I feel you walking beside me.
    It’s the light in my eyes when I
    lead with curiosity, whether it’s meeting new people
    or trying new experiences.
    Your childlike wonder showed me
    how to explore the world.
    The willingness to make mistakes and fall,
    knowing that I would rise again.
    You taught me to laugh at myself,
    to laugh with others, but not at them.
    I miss when you’d say,
    “I’m so proud of you.
    You reinvented yourself.
    You could have just given up,
    but you kept going.”
    Those words were uplifting,
    reminding me that I found a way to live
    in the face of grief and trials.
    I never minded
    as your memory faded
    to hear those precious words on repeat
    until they disappeared as well.
    The gift of encouragement,
    especially on days
    that are overwhelming and exhausting,
    still resound in my head.
    It is also a reminder to pay it forward,
    telling those I love how proud I am of them,
    hoping to spread your warmth
    that you left in my keeping.

  • On Being a Citizen

    On Being a Citizen

    I carry the torch of my immigrant grandmother
    in my soul as the guiding light of what it means
    to be a citizen of a country that gave her so much
    which she passed on to the generations that followed.
    She knew the value of hard work and community,
    that we are stronger together. Welcoming all,
    for the quilt is made beautiful by the diversity
    of the pieces that are sewn together.
    It’s the hope I find when society bands together,
    Looking to ease people’s suffering,
    as witnessed in the LA fires.
    My dream for my country is that we
    can harness that energy not only in times
    of natural disasters, but in daily living.
    To truly see that my neighbor
    is every person that I meet.
    Citizenship means standing up for what I believe in,
    making my voice heard,
    especially when it’s not comfortable,
    knowing that freedom for all comes at a price.
    So, I hope for the strength to do what is right
    when it is easier to sit on the sidelines.

  • The Seed

    The Seed

    An Ode to My Parents

    The seed was planted, watered, and tended with love.
    With the warmth of the sun, it was allowed to grow.
    The sower’s voice spoke gently, encouraging it to blossom
    With petals full of love, stretching out to the world.

    It watched the gardeners’ example of gentle compassion
    As they walked along the flowerbeds,
    Treating each flower, whether thriving or dying,
    With dignity and grace.

    For they knew that the flowers’ beauty must grow from within
    If it was to brighten creation once it left the safety of the bed.
    The sower released the flower to humanity once
    All the wisdom had been bestowed upon it,
    Allowing it to spread its seeds to all it touched.

  • Astrophilia

    Astrophilia

    (n.) rare love and obsession with planets, stars, and outer space

    Transport me to the cosmos,
    Past the moon and the known planets
    To the wonder of the galaxies that lay
    Beyond our Milky Way.
    Oh, to be free of the bonds of gravity,
    The smallness of life that boxes me in
    And the harsh realities that wound my soul.
    The images of space call to me,
    With their majesty and glory.
    Who, in their infinite wisdom, could create
    A paradise of newly forming stars,
    Emitting bright red gases 1,300 light years from earth.
    These offspring are only 100,000 years old,
    Mere youths in the universe that sprang to life 13.8 million years ago.
    As I gaze upon these photographs sent back from deep space,
    I’m filled with hope and wonder.
    That I’ve been placed on this planet, to shine brightly,
    To feel the pain when my worlds collide, morphing me
    Into a unique being, with remnants of the star I was.
    Ever changing, growing, searching for
    My new dwelling place in the world.

  • Book Bed Companion

    Book Bed Companion

    Where your body once filled our bed,
    Leaving your imprint, your unique shape,
    Is now filled with piles of books to be read.
    Words are my new companion, filling up the
    Emptiness that you have left behind.
    You loved all kinds of writing,
    Reading them and sharing your thoughts
    In poems, songs and plays,
    Adding your unique beauty to the world.
    These books provide me escape,
    Often to England, where we once traveled.
    I read until my eyes are heavy with sleep.
    The voice from the audiobook lulls me
    As I drift off to the land of dreams.
    Your warmth and breathing no longer there
    To soothe me to sleep.