7 Comments
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Jess Serrante's avatar

What a thing it is to be alive on this exquisite and hearbreaking planet in this time with you, dear @Liza Cochran! I'm humbled by this dedication and so moved by your depth, your seeing your ever evocative way with words.

Steve West's avatar

My goodness, that hit me right in the heart. Frankly, many individual lines did just that, prompting me to reread and savor a number of sentences. Grief touches us all in unique and shared ways. The more it's talked about and shared out loud, the softer it becomes. Thank you. Well-timed.

Liza Cochran's avatar

What a beautiful description this is: “The more it's talked about and shared out loud, the softer it becomes.” Thanks for sharing, Steve.

Jake Pardee's avatar

Beauuuutiful, Liza! This is one I will return to... thank you <3

Liza Cochran's avatar

It’s an honor (and comfort) to be in the gap with you, @Jake Pardee!

Cody N.'s avatar

This was beautiful, and I got chills thinking about how much it resonates with my own experience. I didn't know how to grieve until my mother died suddenly two years ago and now I'm kind of obsessed with grief. It feels like the answer to everything, especially the times we live in. Meanwhile, my favorite poet Andrea Gibson was writing about their encounter with terminal cancer, which taught me more about grief than anything or anyone else in my life. (If you aren't familiar, go check out Things That Don't Suck here on Substack. Their partner continues their work after their death last year.)

Here is a link to their poem, "When Death Came to Visit"

https://andreagibson.substack.com/p/when-death-came-to-visit?r=b5asv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Liza Cochran's avatar

Thanks so much for sharing, Cody. I look forward to reading this from Andrea Gibson. What a human treasure she was.