a work in progress}
this fierce-toothed loss has climbed into my body, found its way to where my voice lives, deep down into the alveoli that allow my breath to arrive and leave
—the whisper of membranes have yielded to a cough.
sleep is a shy friend.
my words are somewhere else, only the most basic ones have remained behind.
still, my eyes are stubborn scavengers, and my ears still listen for the blackbird as it settles in for the night.
© Liezel Graham 2025
it is three weeks tomorrow. saturday is my mom’s birthday. her ashes will be available for collection.
we arrive. we try to make sense of this life with an assortment of tools that no other person gets in precisely the same manner. we spend our lives trying to find love, be love, or run away from it. it happens. then we leave. some of us are left behind. it is not our turn, yet.
we still get to listen for the blackbird’s song, still get to make toast, brush teeth, make phone calls, tussle with endless red tape, do life.
grief is fierce thing.
x
liezel graham 
This song squeezes tears from my eyes every time, still.Ed Sheeran – Supermarket Flowers (Music Video)youtu.be
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Dear, Dear Liezel,Thank you for your brutal honesty. How incredib
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Thank you, dear friend. x
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Dear Liezel, I think you will have the wisdom to let grief lead you and guide you. There is no right way or wrong way. Eventually, you will find thoughts – remembrances – of your mother giving you companionship, solace, even peace. Blessings to you on this journey.
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Thank you so much, dear Patricia. x
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Hi Liezel,Such a painful time; like the thorns of a rose grief tears through.You have my sympathy xxSent from my iPhone – Christine
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Thank you so much, dear Christine. x
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