Grief is unpredictable, it comes in stages,
in the blink of an eye, our whole world changes.
To deal with the loss, we search for a way,
to help us get through, each harrowing day.
Denial, the first stage, is one of disbelief,
we have no idea, how to deal with this grief.
Caught off guard and so unprepared, with no real plan, clearly in sight,
we must endeavour to stay strong and hold on tight.
Anger, comes next, the second stage,
the unfairness of it all, sends us into a rage.
The suffering the pain, it took its toll on you,
we really hoped, that you could have pulled through.
Bargaining, the third stage, could it have gone, another way?
If this was the case, you would still be here today.
What we would give, to change the outcome,
was there anything different, we could have done?
Depression, another stage, full of sorrow and woe,
debilitating and overwhelming, a painful blow.
The fear and the anguish is a frightening ordeal,
which takes its toll, whether imagined or real.
Acceptance, the final stage, helps us bear, this heavy cross,
as we try to find meaning in our lives and make sense of the loss.
Life for us has changed and is not the same, without you,
but with acceptance now, we will try to push through.
There is no direct path, we each find our own way,
to navigate the pain and get through each day.
Some stages of grief, we will repeat,
stepping in and out of each, in this gigantic feat.
Through all these stages, we will continue to evolve,
searching for comfort and in time, some resolve.
'One day at a time' is all we can do,
as we try to endure, this life without you.
~ 'Navigating Grief' by Mary Anne Byrne
~ Art by Jeanie Tomanek
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