Grief is Love
We are not always ready to part ways
Still, “farewell” must come and it comes too soon
So I hope you know
To be deeply missed is to have been dearly loved
Your love exists in actions
And mine will stay in pieces of you
I know you may grieve and I know you will be loved
Even when I’m gone
But please remember:
Fight for what is still here
Honor memory by preserving what is left behind
And I will be with you, always
This poem was inspired by the discussion of grief during the conference and meant to give some comfort by offering sympathy. The title “Grief is Love” is inspired by Terry Tempest Williams’ speech from the closing ceremony. The first three lines, including the title, is the acceptance of grief and the sense of loss. While we may not be ready to suddenly lose something or someone, it is still a part of life and we must learn to cope with it. The following six lines is reassurance that while grief can be overwhelming, the loss itself is not permanent and can be eased by remembering what’s been lost. No matter what, the loss itself was aware of the reader’s love and assures them that they loved the reader back. This part and onwards uses first person to address the reader to better validate their emotions and console them. The final four lines means to tell the reader to not allow grief to consume them and continue remembering their loss through actions. Death isn’t the end and they can continue to live on within our memories.
While the overall theme is centered on grief, it touches on the idea of compassion in action by offering a shared acknowledgement of grief towards the world and the comfort that people aren’t alone in facing current issues. I also mean for the poem to refer to climate change and the overall sense of discouragement when it comes to dealing with the current situation. However hopeless it may all seem, the grief felt by many is proof of their love towards the world and they should take the time to understand and see the way the world attempts to love them back before continuing their fight for it. The poem goes from grief, to comfort, to acceptance and offers some encouragement to carry on.
The art component is meant to complement the poem and the elements of the piece were inspired by nature and meant to draw a connection to the issue of climate change. The borders and the watery background are also meant to give the reader a sense of peace whilst reading. The poem itself was handwritten to give a personal touch as opposed to being typed out. The upper left-hand corner border has a lotus symbol, meant to inspire peace and calm, with many small pink and purple flowers surrounding it. The bottom right-hand border also has a lotus symbol, with water droplets and three yellow stars surrounded by a night sky. The poem rests against a semi-opaque sheet so it stands out against the background. The blue watery background is supposed to instil a sense of calm and comfort. Overall, the artistic component aims to showcase the natural beauty of the world and draw attention to the grief surrounding the potential loss of it.
