Withdraw and surrender
or restore and live?
Painfully utter or sing joyously aloud.
Or impair fatally to ruin
all that comes to you.
The choice is yours.
Enhance the beauty of your life like a twilight cirrus streaked sky.
Illuminate your life in daily joys.
For joys there are!
Live an anguished life in mask of grief?
Or find solace in this diorama of
changing colour and direction.
Sink or swim?
Renounce, abandon,
or repair and mend?
The choice is yours.
Enter that empty void of senselessness?
Or find that certain solace.
Swim to the top, swim to the top,
do not succumb to misery.
Lift yourself from daily pain.
Fight against this hanging pendent of rage
you wear so well.
Leave behind that ache
as heavy as a dying bloom.
Live your life…
And find that certain solace.
Poem inspired by a comment from Lileng.
Photo courtesy of Ellie Robson.
Copyright 2011 Susie Hemingway.
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Wow, Susie … the are amazing words. It IS a choice, isn’t it? And choosing to live our life in no way diminishes what we had and how we feel about our wonderful men.
I am heavily involved with Widowed Village and try to be a voice of encouragement there. Would it be possible to post your poem (with your copyright) in a discussion there? I think so many there would benefit from your words.
Of course Dianne – you are most welcome to use “A Certain Solace” in a discussion at Widowed Village. If this poem could help just one grieving person a little, then I am proud to pen my words. Blessings and peace to all at the recent Camp Widowed
For sure, choosing to live our remaining years with joy no way diminishes the love we were so lucky to have had. Peace and blessings.
Beautiful–these words describe my feelings. I admit to not wanting to wallow, but to enjoy whatever lovely things I can find. The natural world does it for me. Sorrow, yes. It will always be there. But to waste the time I have and he does NOT, would be a dishonor to his strength and courage. I don’t believe our loved ones would want it. I try to look at how he lived his life, which I admired so much. So he is teaching me still! I love you–always, Keith.
Thank you for your comment teejay. I am so sorry for your loss.
Yes I truly agree about wasting the years left to us in sorrow. It would indeed be a dishonour to our men who fought so hard to stay and live.
Like you I gain much solace from nature and also in ‘writing to the world’ my words and feelings here.
I send my very best wishes for your continued recovery. Somehow I know Keith would be very proud of you indeed.
It is hard to be left behind and to feel the separation from the beloved so acutely, but your words, Susie, are a reminder that there is still purpose to one’s life afterwards. Thirty years have passed and I still ‘miss’ my son’s father, but I have made a life for myself and for my son that is rich and full. Thank you again for the beautifully stated reminder that it is all about choice.
It takes a while to wallow through and wrestle with the choice that is ours. Lovely Susie.
Susie, how beautiful!
There is so much to look forward to in life and I commend you on finding that solace.
Margie x
Susie,
This has given me much comfort as my mother slowly slips away a little more, day by day.
I can rage and scream and complain bitterly to myself, or I can make a conscious choice to make the very most and the very best of what confronts me every day……
Susie, your words speak into the hearts of many. And thank you for titling the poem, it’s such an honor and privilege. This poem will have a special place in my heart!
dear susie,
i have longed to be able to give my mom some solace, some hope of even a little happiness as i have witnessed her profound grief after losing my dad. mom is the one who passed on a legacy to all of her 8 children – that of the comfort, joy and chance of renewal that the natural world surrounds us with. i will share your beautiful and inspiring words with her, and i believe they will help her, and remind her of the other thing she taught us – that, as you so gently affirmed, how one carries on is a choice. thank you for giving me that hope.
You have really said it all in this poem,Im sure Hamada would have wanted you to live your life to the full.It would be an insult to the people we love and lost to wallow in self pity.Life is for living….