Complicated Grief

Grief is complicated

I was sick — physically — then emotionally? and maybe now it’s spiritual

In the Mayan language there is a word for tumor

and it translates to “calcified grief”

a wise woman tells me that grief is only the culprit of suffering

when i hold it inside

but to release — I need safety

not judgement, not defense

it needs witness is the opening loving compassionate arms

of another who won’t let me drown in my own sadness

because they choose to be with me in it

there are beautiful cultures around the world that normalize

screaming and wailing and they don’t make tears the enemy

none of this “sit in the corner” or “what’s wrong” as if the sin

is empathizing with the world

if more people would let rivers of grief traverse their bodies

we would all see how on fire the world really is

if you’re not okay —- I would call that reasonable ….

Day Nine