Grief is Love
A constant through every storm no matter where it leads.
This human life is messy and the easiest way I know how to make sense of it has long been through words of my own, favorite writers and poets, and lyrics that resonate deeply. I recently got curious and spent time going down memory lane by sifting through decades of my old journals, poems, stories, and other writing.
While I already knew grief is a subject I know intimately and write about extensively, it was eye opening to realize just how long it has been a companion in my life and writing, yet I can still count on one hand how many times I have shared any of it in a public space. Even writing this introduction took days of procrastination and pushing through fears and some of the most uncomfortable feelings. And when I view grief as the ultimate uncomfortable feeling, I remember the best way to counter it is the same way I always have - with love.
I originally wrote the poem below during a period of personal and collective grief in 2020, and it only seems fitting to share it here and now since so many people are grieving so many things. I hope it brings you some peace if that is what you need right now. I hope it makes you uncomfortable in some way so you can remember you’re human. And I also hope you will join me as I occasionally continue exploring this theme.
Grief is Love
by Shawn Patrick Rivera
I wish there was something I could say
A way to ease the pain
The currents washing over you
Waves crashing
Soul crushing
Pain
But only love can guide the way
Like a buoy
Anchoring your memories
Sometimes at a distance
Always within reach
A constant through every storm
No matter where it leads
Always there
Always remembering what was
And what will always be
LOVE
Beautifully written✨
This moved me deeply. The line “only love can guide the way” hit me right in the center of my chest. I’ve been thinking a lot about how grief and love are so intertwined how we carry both through every season, sometimes heavy but always there. Thank you for putting words to something so many of us feel but rarely say out loud. I’m so glad you shared this. I’ll be sitting with it for a while.