Grief Group
Grief Group
by BZ Niditch
Under sleeping sunshine
condolence calls us
incognito
whispers under
woolen blanket smiles
around the room
at mumbled voices,
no one wants to be here
some hiding faces
down in small talk
as tongues motion
toward the podium,
wishing to reinvent
our past
like flash fiction
yet tuning out
over a side-long look,
with your writing arm
on the easy chair
by hushed silence
aching for a still life
on an ingrown day
with an escape plan
as your nerves
by squinting light
offer consolation
to the invited
capturing what trembles
in nature’s frailty
as elusive memory
gathers us all
from the consuming sun.
Misery does not love company–it would seem–it’s only compounded in the presence of others. Yes, support groups can be ‘grief groups’–good point. I was struck by the keen use of personification in this piece: condolence, hushed silence, tongue, nerves, nature and memory. Very crafty! I loved this excerpt: “…as tongues motion toward the podium, wishing to reinvent our past like flash fiction…”
Also…clever use of symbology with ‘[sleeping] sunshine’ and ‘[consuming]sun’ at beginning of poem and end. Ultimately, we alone are capable(responsible?) of(for) finding our own happiness. Great read! thx!
Oh yeah, and i love the hell out of that picture! Whatever place that is i want to live there (for some uncanny reason) lol.