Bravery
Existing every day
Following extreme loss of
A child, a spouse, a parent
Or after receiving
A doctor’s report
Of fatal illness
Or when you must live
With the knowledge
Your loved one’s mind
Has been taken by
Dementia or Alzheimer’s
Or knowing your child
Is stuck in the chains
Of addiction
Yes, it takes courage
To wake up and exist
Without losing all hope
Without losing all joy
Belief in God
Does not remove the pain
But it can help us cope
Giving us strength to go on
And the will to live
When we really don’t know
How to
As we continue to exist
Pieces of our heart missing
We eventually find joy again
It’s just different
Than it might have been
E.A. Fussell
02.02.2024
E. A. Fussell 