karenl Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 I came across this poem in a book I was reading, and I find the last 5 lines in particular help me when the sadness starts to get overwhelming: If I be the first of us to die, Let grief not blacken long your sky. Be bold yet modest in your grieving. There is a change but not a leaving. For just as death is part of life, The dead live on forever in the living. And all the gathered riches of our journey, The moments shared, the mysteries explored, The steady layering of intimacy stored, The things that made us laugh or weep or sing, The joy of sunlit snow or first unfurling of the spring, The wordless language of look and touch, The knowing, Each giving and each taking, These are not flowers that fade, Nor trees that fall and crumble, Nor are they stone, For even stone cannot the wind and rain withstand And mighty mountain peaks in time reduce to sand. What we were, we are. What we had, we have. A conjoined past imperishably present. So when you walk the woods where once we walked together And scan in vain the dappled bank beside you for my shadow, Or pause where we always did upon the hill to gaze across the land, And spotting something, reach by habit for my hand, And finding none, feel sorrow start to steal upon you, Be still. Close your eyes. Breathe. Listen for my footfall in your heart. I am not gone, but merely walk within you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynneH Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Beautiful. Thank you for posting this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stand4hope Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Oh, Jana, I loved this the most: The wordless language of look and touch, The knowing, Each giving and each taking, Thank you so much! Love, Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyT Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Love the poem! Thank you for sharing NancyT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamweaver Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Am so glad I read this today. You are right, the last 5 lines are so very comforting. I'll try to keep those in my thoughts as I go through each day. Thank you for sharing this. Melanie I came across this poem in a book I was reading, and I find the last 5 lines in particular help me when the sadness starts to get overwhelming: If I be the first of us to die, Let grief not blacken long your sky. Be bold yet modest in your grieving. There is a change but not a leaving. For just as death is part of life, The dead live on forever in the living. And all the gathered riches of our journey, The moments shared, the mysteries explored, The steady layering of intimacy stored, The things that made us laugh or weep or sing, The joy of sunlit snow or first unfurling of the spring, The wordless language of look and touch, The knowing, Each giving and each taking, These are not flowers that fade, Nor trees that fall and crumble, Nor are they stone, For even stone cannot the wind and rain withstand And mighty mountain peaks in time reduce to sand. What we were, we are. What we had, we have. A conjoined past imperishably present. So when you walk the woods where once we walked together And scan in vain the dappled bank beside you for my shadow, Or pause where we always did upon the hill to gaze across the land, And spotting something, reach by habit for my hand, And finding none, feel sorrow start to steal upon you, Be still. Close your eyes. Breathe. Listen for my footfall in your heart. I am not gone, but merely walk within you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyW Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:01 pm Post subject: Inspirational Site Check Out this Link A Friend Sent me tonite. Trying not to cry. http://www.inspiringthots.net/movie/best-day.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamweaver Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 What a beautiful site that is! Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:01 pm Post subject: Inspirational Site Check Out this Link A Friend Sent me tonite. Trying not to cry. http://www.inspiringthots.net/movie/best-day.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolyn50 Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Karenl, Thank you so much for posting the poem. I am struggling tonight. I lost my husband of 24 years 18 months ago and it is still so very painful. I was watching the movie Capote tonight and I was getting such racking memories of John that they just seized me into crying jags. I finished the movie and so was here on the internet and found your beautiful poem. Thanks for the comfort, Carolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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