Beautiful Bittersweet Life Poems

Exploring the world of life and grief through poetry.

Tag: poem

  • Letting Go, Finding Freedom

    Letting Go, Finding Freedom

    “Letting go is what keeps you alive.” Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, from “When Living on a Tiny Island.”

    I squeezed my hands so tight that my knuckles turned white,
    leaving red moon crescents imprinted on my palms.
    Hoping that I could stop time,
    and everything that lay ahead of me.
    How foolish to think that I had so much power.
    And yet, that was my habit,
    the insanity that I had always employed
    with no success.
    It took time to release my death grip,
    learning from the wisdom of others
    that the only influence that I possessed
    was over my own behaviors and thoughts.
    Frankly, my brain can still be
    the most dangerous neighborhood to visit.
    When I slowly let go of that which I couldn’t control,
    my body began to relax, and I could breathe again.
    I learned that love was holding people in my heart,
    no matter what our relationship was.
    Giving them the dignity to follow their own path
    freed me to follow mine.

  • Friend, Mate, Amiga: Reflections On Friendship

    Friend, Mate, Amiga: Reflections On Friendship

    For Nancy

    I greet you with, “Hello, friend,”
    a sacred salutation of recognition
    of the deep connection that we share.
    For it is in this space that we are united
    by a bond deeper than blood.
    For we choose each other
    to share this short time on the planet.
    We’ve shared so much over the years
    that the depth of our laughter flows
    from the earth in a cascade of water
    rushing downstream in wild abandon.
    Our hearts find comfort and safety
    in each other’s company
    when they’ve been shattered
    by the sorrow that comes from living and loving.
    As the seasons of our life continue to change,
    and we face new challenges,
    I’m grateful for the solace I’ve found
    knowing that we traverse this road together.
    Although we live far apart from each other,
    when I hear your voice,
    I will always feel that you are just around the corner.

    Best Friends Forever
  • Sweet Beginnings

    Sweet Beginnings

    For Jesse

    How wondrous the light of love
    that shines from the eyes of a new parent as they gaze upon the new life that
    they hold close to their heart.
    A gift created by the deep love they have for each other.
    This sweet little person,
    the picture of perfection,
    with their cute little toes and fingers,
    and their adorable face,
    possesses the power to mesmerize,
    even in those early sleep deprived days.
    For time slows down as the world
    continues its hurried pace.
    For this moment in time,
    the only thing that matters
    is the beginning of a lifelong love story

  • 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.