I see grief down the block
So I turn the corner
I have dinner with a friend
Grief, at a nearby table, waves to me
But agrees to keep its distance
I go for a swim in the local pool
Grateful that grief is not sharing a lane with me
Hoping that if I swim till I’m exhausted
Grief will leave me alone
After a day filled with sweet activities
I return home
Grief waits at my bedside
I take a pill and pull the covers over my head
In the morning, barely awake
Eyes still shut
I hear a whisper in my ear
“I’m still waiting”
I turn the other way and get out of bed
Starting on my daily routine
That often includes great joy
But which is primarily designed to avoid my stalker
Thanks to Rich Orloff for permission to reprint Grief Keeps Its Distance.
Read more of Rich’s poetry here.