Another anniversary
Half way through the first year of your absence.
You smile out from your photo
and my memory.
poem-today January 15, 2016
Grief today
is not like yesterday’s;
today it’s a ball, lodged deep in the throat,
instead of yesterday’s hovering cloud.
Tomorrow grief may be rain washing away every thought,
or the laughter of melancholy memories or perhaps
I won’t be able to keep tears at bay.
It’s impossible to say.
Grief is complicated,
that way.
poem- addressing memories November 1, 2015
Turning pages in the address book
cross a line across another entry.
Turning pages
studying the names crossed out
A memorial of friends and family gone
Greetings sent in murmured prayers
to rest in peace.
poem-Grief 101 October 25, 2015
Today you would be 101
Three months gone
Grief still takes me by surprise
a slice of pain hidden in the guise
of a song, or a day, or a vision.
I still see your sparkling eyes,
I hear your voice saying my name,
You became a hundred and one
times a hundred and one memories
and grief still weeps off each one.
poem-two months September 25, 2015
Two months
Sixty-one days
Sixty-one memories of your smile
Sixty-one wishes for your stories
Two mysterious photographs
Too many days
without you.
.
.
RIPDaddy
Last week a genealogist doing a one name study of Duguay found my dad’s obituary here. After getting a bit of basic information that could connect into his database, he sent me Dad’s family line back to 1620 in Burgundy, France. I then did a little additional research. Dad would have been intrigued, especially to know that at 1672 we share a common ancestor with some famous people: Hillary Clinton (American politician), Tom Mulcair (Canadian politician), Anne Hébert (Canadian author and poet).
poem-window love March 24, 2015
It’s time for spring cleaning,
but if I wash your nose prints
off this glass
then the last trace
of you will be erased
and you will truly be
gone.
poem-distress signal March 10, 2015
whimper
pant
pace
whine
pant
woof?
pant
woof
pace
pant
woof!
pant
WOOF!
pant
cry
WOOF wooooof!
pant
sigh
.
.
My 15 year old standard poodle is still unable to manage alone after we had to put down our 16.5 year old miniature poodle last month. We now allow him to sleep in our bedroom. Last night, after he’d been pacing and whimpering from 1:30 to 2 a.m. (post snack and pee-break) I actually got out of bed to lie beside him on the floor for 20 minutes until he settled. I’m not sure if that’s enabling, but we were all able to sleep afterwards. A visit to the vet this week, and a trip to his favourite kennel master next week, and I have hopes that perhaps he’ll be able to cope soon. The mourning process is a challenge for us all.
poem-angel laughter August 12, 2014
After
yesterday’s tears,
Today
on the breeze
I hear the
laughter
of angels
.
.
#RIPRobinWilliams
poem – borrowed time May 6, 2012
Our sorrowing time
recalling
our borrowing time–
Her falling
from Heaven,
every day an
unexpected gift,
here briefly.
Today has come
unexpected rift,
searing grief.
Her soul’s flown
fleeing and nearing
heaven now.
She’s whole grown
seeing and hearing
in heaven now.
.
.
In memory of Emily Anne March 28, 1986 – May 5, 2012
Shawn L. Bird 