Communing

Communing in the sacred space of grief is tender and soul affecting.

This poem by Shawn Brown speaks artistically poignant to the experience of grief. I am thankful for Shawn's heart and his willingness for me to share his writing here. 

Be blessed-

at a deep silent lake of grief


3 adult children sit on a low dock


dangling their feet in the water


it is dark and the dark is cold and clear


though a grey mist is forming


a fog that becomes more dense with distance


no way to make sense of the vague shapelessness there

a man stands waist deep in the utterly still water


hands at his sides


shoulders drooping


also seeking somewhere to focus his eyes

the stars have been coming out


one by one and in groups


to shine their light on the people


so many that it is remarkable


reflecting off the smooth lake


steady through the ripples


everyone is grateful for their light

and there are others at the shore


on the dock


toes in the water


arms open


children splashing lightly


playing around their legs


feeling the weight of the water


quietly understanding what their age allows

someone skips a stone


and all wonder when it will stop skipping


slide into the silent water and fall to the bottom

all the while the ripples spread, more stars come out, the stillness grows

no one tries to deny that soon they will be completely submerged


and that when they emerge


the water of that lake will never completely dry from their skin


and that they will return to the lake


often at first and always for the rest of their lives


and though grief is lonely


they will never be alone in their remembering


the ripples of this life will never stop spreading


(Shawn’s mother-in-law, Laura Reppart, is currently undergoing radiation treatments for a brain tumor. For prayer news and updates on the Reppart family you can go here. To see more of Shawn’s writings please visit his blog Circumstantially Wonderful .)