On the Journey of Grief * * * * * * On such a journey, we travel individual paths, through varied stages.... In loving memory of my husband Ron: May 31, 1926 - June 19, 2000 * * * * * * September, 2000 Missing You The fist of time holds pungent hours crumpled in its grasp; I breathe their wistful scent across the threshold of our past. . . Behind a curtain, moments hide to pounce with brutal force: I glimpse your face in mindweb drifts but cannot touch the source. The days resume their frantic pace and problems surge anew; but poignant pauses wrap around the essence that was you. Copyright 2000 Laryalee Fraser * * * * * * January 2001 Winter Chill I shiver in the darkness, reach for warmth I cannot find, as hollow echoes filter down through layers of my mind. I marvel at a sunset, turn with eagerness to share - but empty shadows mock my urge, for you're no longer there. I chuckle for a moment at a comment on TV, and wait to hear your echoed laugh - the way it used to be. Your gentle, loving gestures that I cherished through the years intrude upon my thoughts and I dissolve in bitter tears. Your strength was my support, I knew you'd never let me fall; but you're not here to hold me when I need you most of all. Copyright 2001 Laryalee Fraser * * * * * * February 2002 Valentine Shadows On floating threads, small memory notes still hover near; their edges torn by winds that ripped away the tune but left the song for me to mourn. Red roses drip their molten scent through dreams now bent on brittle stalks; each year I watch their petals fall along the path where darkness walks. Soft murmurs rest in folded cards on scrawled inscriptions love entwined, and shadows hide in ribboned lace when just one heart is left behind. Copyright 2002 Laryalee Fraser * * * * * * If you are going through the trauma of grief, or know someone who is, here is a helpful link: ~ Grief and Bereavement ~ back to Remembrance         Poetry Creek Site Map         Poem Index