| Poems |
| Dear Friend, Please be patient with me; I need to grieve in my own way and in my own time. Please don't take away my grief or try to fix my pain. The best thing you can do is listen to me and let me cry on your shoulder. Don't be afraid to cry with me. Your tears will tell me how much you care. Please forgive me if I seem insensitive to your problems. I feel depleted and drained, like an empty vessel, with nothing left to give. Please let me express my feelings and talk about my memories. Feel free to share your own stories of my loved one with me. I need to hear them. Please understand why I must turn a deaf ear to criticism or tired clichés. I can't handle another person telling me that time heals all wounds. Please don't try to find the "right" words to say to me. There's nothing you can say to take away the hurt. What I need are hugs, not words. Please don't push me to do things I'm not ready to do, or feel hurt if I seem withdrawn. This is a necessary part of my recovery. Please don't stop calling me. You might think you're respecting my privacy, but to me it feels like abandonment. Please don't expect me to be the same as I was before. I've been through a traumatic experience and I'm a different person. Please accept me for who I am today. Pray with me and for me. Should I falter in my own faith, let me lean on yours. In return for your loving support I promise that, after I've worked through my grief, I will be a more loving, caring, sensitive, and compassionate friend because I have learned from the best. Love, Crissi |
| "When the Angels Call" "I'll lend you, for a little while, a child of mine," He said. For you to love while he lives, and mourn when he is dead. It may be six or seven years, or twenty-two, or three, But will you, till I call him back, take care of him for me? He'll bring his charms to gladden you, And shall his stay be brief, You'll have his lovely memories as solace for your grief. I cannot promise he will stay, as all from earth return, But there are lessons taught down there I want this child to learn. I've looked the wide world over in my search for teachers true, And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes, I have selected you. Now will you give her all your love - Not think the labor vain, Nor hate me when I come to call to take her back again. I fancied that I heard them say, "Dear Lord, thy will be done."For all the joy this child shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run. We'll shower her with tenderness And love her while we may, And for the happiness we've known,Forever grateful stay. And should the angels call for her much sooner than we planned. We'll brave the bitter grief that comes, And try to understand. Edgar A. Guest, 1881-1959 |
| Don't Don't tell me that you understand, Don't tell me that you know... Don't tell me that I will surely survive, How I will surely grow... Don't tell me this is just a test, That I am truly blessed... That I am chosen for the task, Apart from all the rest... Don't come at me with answers, That can only come from me... Don't tell me how my grief will pass, That I will soon be free... Don't stand in pious judgement, Of the bonds that I must untie... Don't tell me how to suffer, And don't tell me how to cry... My life is filled with selfishness, My pain is all I see... But I need you, I need your love, Unconditionally... Accept me in my ups and downs, I need someone to share... Just hold my hand and let me cry, And say, My friend, I care... Author Unknown |
| Remembering You We thought of you today, But that is nothing new We thought of you yesterday And will tomorrow, too We think of you in silence And make no outward show For what it meant to lose you Only those who love you know Remembering you is easy We do it everyday It's the heartache of losing you That will never go away. ~author unknown |