Beautiful Bittersweet Life Poems

Exploring the world of life and grief through poetry.

Tag: Self Compassion

  • Embracing Imperfection

    Embracing Imperfection

    “Perfect is the enemy of good,” attributed to Voltaire

    How did that sneaky voice slip into my head,
    telling me that perfection was attainable?
    Was it years of hearing, “practice makes perfect”
    that stopped me in my tracks when I longed to
    break out of the expected,
    keeping me caged in conformity?
    Could it have been apprehension
    of what other people might think or say?
    It was a slow journey,
    fighting against self-doubt and feelings of not enough.
    I walked with discomfort as I forged ahead
    on this uncharted path.
    Sometimes the vines of uncertainty
    would wrap around me, wanting me to stay put.
    Soon, they held no sway over me,
    and fell to the wayside.
    When I began to let go
    of the noise in my head that sought to contain me,
    I found a fearless voice waiting to sing,
    the shining me that had been there all along.

  • 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.

  • What If

    What If

    On Living With a Chronic Condition

    Sweetheart, it’s okay to stop fighting.
    It’s not giving up, but coming to terms
    with the reality that was not of your choice.
    For if combat was an option against
    a body that refuses to work the way it once did,
    you would be better by now.
    The stash of energy that you could draw on before
    is now depleted and doesn’t recharge easily.
    What if you chose to shower yourself
    with kindness and compassion instead?
    It wouldn’t undo the physical changes,
    but, oh, how it will soothe your weary soul.
    It will give you the space to breathe deeply,
    What if you treat yourself like
    your best friend?
    How gentle you would be,
    holding them in a warm loving embrace,
    meeting them right where they’re at.
    What if you allowed yourself to grieve
    the life you once lived so easily?
    It’s not a sign of weakness or surrender,
    but choosing to find some serenity
    on a journey that is already wearisome.
    I know, sweetheart, that there are days
    when it all feels too much, but what if
    you took a moment, an hour, a day,
    to give yourself a break from the demands in your head
    and just be.