When it comes:

I will meet it at the door,

I will say “Come in, old friend.

I will listen to the

Grief wants to tell.

I will breathe deeply into the ache

Grief doesn’t ask for many words.

I will mostly sit in silence

And I will let the tears flow

To come to the canvas with me

To feel the ooze of paint

To walk by the river with me

So that we can watch

But when Grief is ready to go,

I will open the door and bid farewell.

Then I will put away the teacup,

Clean the paint off my hands,

In these times, we must all hold on to hope and have faith that we can and will overcome whatever faces us today and continue to build a hopeful tomorrow for ourselves and our children.