I wrote this piece the day after my aunt passed away. I was at the beach, and in the early morning hours, as I sat by the sea, this poem was born.
I hope that it can help heal your heart.
Much love,
Candy
The Dance of Grief
I sat by the sea, so she could wash away the pain.
But she was too playful,
And the pain remained the same.
I told her I didn’t want to play.
She waved with a sparkle in her eye,
And the pain remained the same,
As I began to cry.
I tried to walk away,
I didn’t want to feel.
She gave me a laugh, a giggle,
And licked at my heels.
She invited me in,
I told her the same.
I came to the sea,
For you to wash away my pain.
She asked me to sit,
And to watch her dance and play.
She gave me a few lessons,
But the pain remained the same.
My anger was growing,
She wasn’t doing her part.
Yet she still smiled and waved,
The pain radiating from my heart.
She invited me to sit, one last time.
She frolicked, she jumped, her waves so high.
She licked at my wounds,
As the tears fell from my eyes.
So she sang me a song,
With sunny melodies.
She asked me to dance,
With a final, heartfelt plea.
I took a deep breath,
And I sat down my pain.
I began to cry,
As we danced and we sang.
Songs of life’s beauty,
The wonders of the world.
We danced and we sang,
As she gave me a twirl.
I turned to my pain,
I forgot she was there.
She was holding my memories,
Of sorrow and despair.
My pain waved me on,
With a reluctant plea.
She gave me permission that day,
To dance with the sea.
With a promise that,
She’d always be there,
When I was ready to process,
The sorrow and the despair.
The dance of grief,
Was the lesson for the day.
I didn’t realize,
I thought she just wanted to play.
The sea smiled at me,
And gently whispered in my ear,
“The dance of grief,
You should never fear.
For it’s a dance and a song,
Of heartache, joy, sorrow, and laughter,
That will fade in and out of your life,
Until you join the hereafter.”
I thanked the sea,
That she had invited me to play.
I promised her I’d use the lessons,
That she had taught me that day.
That life still can be joyous,
Yet painful and cruel.
When you experience loss, the dance of grief,
Teaches you not to be a fool.
That you could just carry the loss and the pain,
Without allowing laughter and joy into your heart
The two can remain.
A part of your life,
And she showed me that day that it was possible,
When she asked me to play.
Much love,
Candy
