This post is dedicated to my mother-in-law, Trish, who would have turned 67 this coming week, she died in June 2018 after losing a battle with cancer.

She was an incredible woman who led an extraordinary life. At times she drove me crazy (she was my mother-in-law after all!) but mostly she inspired me. She loved God first, but her family followed closely behind. She loved them fiercely and we still miss her. I know our lives are built on the many years of prayers she prayed for us. She has left a gap that can never be filled.

I wrote this poem in memory of her and the family she has left behind. If you have ever lost someone close to you then I’m sure you’ll recognise yourself in it.

Grief

Her joy, forever gone
But it’s shadow remains
A remnant, a reflection.
Veiled by rosy hue.

Your own face, unfamiliar,
New lines and shadows
Smiling lips with crying eyes
Or shining with tears for now unshed

The world goes on
Callous, cold, unfeeling.
Ignoring your pain
‘Get up, move on, be the same.’

Nothing will ever be the same
The pain will ebb and flow
Your heart will heal
Scarred but whole

You remain a reflection
Of your former self
The outside the same
But internally reformed.