words fail

hearts break

nothingness seeps

into hurting spaces

stillness scares us

because memories

return that

bring us to our knees

we lose our compass

our sense of direction

we wander

without

immediate purpose

then we stop

and wonder

about all we

are afraid

we will forget

and go through

motions

as if routine

will bring back

the familiar

and fill

the empty space

where you

once were

but the familiar

no longer exists

on this journey

with uncertainty

and loss our

newest companions

through grief

as we wonder

what hope

and love will

look like

and if we will

see them again

—Chris Pepple ©2024