A Grieving Heart

Although you are no longer here,
Within my heart you'll always be;
Alive inside a space carved out,
Meant for eternal memories.

I hang on to the ones of good,
Whenever bad ones start to wear;
And rob me of precious moments,
Where I know that you truly cared.

Within forgiveness lies a bridge,
Where we can lay our hurt to rest;
And forge instead a newfound path,
Built of self-love and gentleness.

A place to reflect on the past,
Without the feeling of heartbreak;
Acknowledge our imperfections,
Accept we all will make mistakes.

Throughout this process lies a gift,
One given freely from our Lord;
To turn the agony we shared,
Into a story of reward.

Without your presence in my life,
I would not know what grace does mean;
Or how to look beyond the mask,
See what did shatter of your dreams.

I too might not have had a clue,
Of depths grieving can pull you in;
How to not sink within those waves,
Engulfed in regret, guilt, and sin.

Healing's not for the faint of heart,
As you must walk back through the pain;
But had you not been in my life,
I would have lost more than I gained.

Though scars outside do tend to heal,
The ones inside may still yet bleed;
It's through unfailing bouts of faith,
Where God, in His time, intercedes.

He'll bind and bandage up each wound,
Watch every mark begin to fade;
Though we might never soon forget,
Purpose will be found in the pain.

Grief is a process redefined,
When we allow ourselves to feel;
Give of our anguish up to Him,
Know that His promises are real.

Like how we'll never walk alone,
His hand always within arms reach;
Though triggers seem to overlap,
He'll show us how to make our peace.

You see God is not just a part,
Of all the stories we do tell;
But is the reason we can spin,
A life of joy once steeped in hell.

This poem was a finalist in the February 2024 poetry contest