Sorrow: a poem

Sorrow 
by Janet Muirhead Hill
(in memory of Florence Ore—a poem I wrote about a year ago as my dearest friend, mentor, and supporter was dying. She passed away on October 17, 2014)


Sorrow sits upon a shelf
high above my head.
Unwilling to see inside myself
I avoid what I most dread.

And so I find I do not feel.
My mind and body are numb.
The source of pain seems so unreal
that tears refuse to come.

To face another loss to death
is hard for me to do.
As I concentrate on my breath
I wish more life for you.

My dear friend, I love you so,
I don't want to say goodbye,
but I see that you must go
and in time, I know, I'll cry.

Poems, short stories, essays, book reviews

Besides our one novel, by Raymond Storm, we are now open to publish poetry and other short creative pieces right here on our blog. If you wish to have your work published, please email it janet@ravenpublishing.net, and I will post it here as long as it meets our standards. I won't publish pornography or anything that exploits children.

For starters, here is a poem written about the grief of losing a loved one.

Grief
by Janet Muirhead Hill


With stealth, grief prowls
in the shadows of my mind
like a hunter
    lurking
        stalking
            waiting

For just the right moment
to release its arrow
from a tightly strung bow
to pierce my consciousness
mid stride
    I falter
        waiver
            bite my lip and turn away

to hide my tears
and falling face
until I can smile again,
shoving back memory's dart
and spurning it's bold sting
    and proclaim
       
            I am fine

Except in the shadows of my mind.