Beautiful Bittersweet Life Poems

Exploring the world of life and grief through poetry.

Tag: Finding Joy

  • The Power of Tiny Little Joys

    The Power of Tiny Little Joys

    Inspired by Mary Catherine McDonald, PhD

    The trials of this world
    and the grief that it leaves in its wake
    often blots out the beauty that still exists.
    But joy can still be found in the simple moments of the day.
    A bunny hopping across the backyard in search of food.
    The hummingbird as it flutters from flower to flower.
    Cumulus clouds painted pink at the close of the day.
    The voice of a friend who lives far away,
    but feels like she is just around the corner as you talk on the phone.
    Walking into a meeting and feeling loved
    by those who are on the same journey that you are on.
    Finding a good book at the library,
    and then curling up in bed to read it.
    The sweet taste of your favorite
    homemade ice cream, refreshing on a hot summer day.
    Listening to a podcast that makes you laugh.
    Discovering that you can be a part of an improv group,
    where you can play and be a part of a community.
    These moments might seem minor
    in the face of the atrocities that are taking place in the world,
    but they give us the resilience to continue on life’s path.

  • Relentless Appreciation

    Relentless Appreciation

    Finding Joy After Loss

    When the heart breaks open from the searing pain of
    unbearable loss and the walls crumble to the ground,
    the unimaginable happens:
    relentless appreciation for what is left behind.
    It streams from my soul with the force of a tsunami.
    My love for those I meet in person and online has grown,
    and I feel joy when I spend time in their presence.
    My soul is filled with peace as I traverse the garden path,
    captivated by the beauty of the flowering plants
    and the perfumed, soaked air they create.
    I watch the flying creatures with fascination as they busy themselves finding food and building homes.
    I love the sound of birdsong, whether I’m wandering outside
    or enjoying their symphony from inside my home.
    For knowing there is but a short time
    between birth and death, I breathe in deeply
    all that life has to offer me.

  • Because Everything Falls Away

    Because Everything Falls Away

    In a finite world where I’m here but for a moment,
    I savor the first bite of toast with homemade blueberry jam
    and the spicy warmth of my morning chai
    as I break the fast of sleep.
    I savor my family, those who are still with me,
    and those who I carry in my heart and memories.
    I savor my friends, who walk with me through all
    of the seasons of life.
    Their friendship is the balm for my soul,
    A place where I can be my genuine self, sharing laughter,
    tears and deep conversations.
    I savor the warmth of arms that envelope me in a hug,
    reminding me that I am loved.
    I savor nature’s beauty: the hummingbird, the bee,
    and the butterfly as they alight from flower to flower,
    refreshed by its nectar.
    I savor breathing in the air as I amble along
    the garden path or among the tall pines,
    a place where deep serenity abides.
    I savor the beauty of the sky as it shakes off the blue of the day,
    and dresses in its pastel finery
    before slipping away below the horizon.
    I savor the quiet moments tucked up with a book,
    as I’m spirited away to another time and place,
    freed from the worries of the world.
    At the end of the day, when my body and mind are weary,
    I savor slipping into the comfort of my bed,
    pulling the covers tightly around me,
    slipping away to the nighttime cinema.