What Does Grief Look Like?
by Stephanie Marottek

Inspired by The Angel Connection

Does grief have a certain look?
A color,
an expression,
a sign?
Is there a way to tell
if someone is greiving?
Do they have a mark on their forehead?
Should they act a certain way?
And what way?
Sad, forlorn, crying, depressed,
dressed in black?

Grief has no look,
there is no rule of thumb in grief.
There is no etiquette book telling
us how someone is supposed to be
when grieving.
There is no set pattern of responses.
Everyone reacts differently.

Do not impose your prejudices on me
I will act how I want
how I need to
when I need to.

No one can tell me what grief is supposed to look like.
It is me
It is you
It is in every face you see
You just do not see it
you do not know it
you would
if you would stop expecting it to look
a certain way.

 

About the Author
Stephanie is mom to angel Amanda Joy.

   
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