The Missing
A poem for those who grieve.
This poem appeared in my Facebook Memories the other day. I felt it was important to share it. There are so many reasons that we are grieving right now. It may be a loss through death or a loss of a relationship. All grief is valid, and there is no expiration date. It is often the missing that lasts forever.
I posted the poem as I walked through the memories I had shared with my childhood and lifelong friend who had recently passed. The poem was originally written during a time of missing after moving to Washington. Moving and the loss of time spent together with friends have always been difficult.
I hope this poem will bring comfort to others as it did for me when it was written. The missing happens in many ways. I have learned that it is best not to run from it. The blanket that at first smothered me eventually became a comforting reminder of all we had shared.
The Missing
by Janyne McConnaughey
The missing is a feeling,
A feeling that surrounds me,
A blanket of memories,
Of deep respect and care.
The missing is a feeling,
That calls me from the deep,
I accept the empty space,
Of one no longer there.
But the missing is an aching gift,
That brings both pain and treasure,
Yet the blanket wraps my missing,
And provides warmth as I remember.
It is healing to remember,
While missing wraps me warmly,
In the warmth of the embrace,
I become more deeply human.
And when I am fully warmed,
I carefully fold away the missing,
Until a chance reminder,
Requires its warmth again.