Perpetual Pain

no one told me
the days of mourning
linger for years

those unforgotten bring us
more bitter than sweet memories
unexpectedly and forcefully

it rises up within us
tears well and overflow incessantly
thisinsanity of grief, tortuous

when you love hard
you hurt more
death really kills two people

Progeny

their precious faces
and nonsensical babbles
sheer joy in their eyes
ah, the memories of those days
bring a smile to my face

the poopy diapers
siblings fighting
snot-filled noses
hours upon hours of crying
not so much

each year brought new challenges
as milestones were reached and lessons were learned
and just when my last nerve was plucked
growth occurred
i uttered a sigh of relief

they are grown now
having flown the coop
to fashion their lives as they see fit
it’s satisfying to know
i got two things right

My Disappearance

it’s my nature
to withdraw
when unbalanced
for no reason at all

i retreat to a safe space
like bear cubs denning
i’m not languishing
i’m dormant with melancholy

seeking shelter protects my soul
giving respite and comfort
surrounded by nothing but time
it revives me

Susi Bocks, writer/author/poet, has self-published two books – Feeling Human and Every Day I PauseShe is the Editor of The Short of It, publishing its first volume in 2020 – The Sound of BrillianceBocks’ has works published in the anthologies Through The Looking Glass – Reflecting on Madness and Chaos WithinAs The World BurnsSMITTEN: This Is What Love Looks Like: Poetry by Women for Women and inVitaBrevisSpillwordsLiterary Yard, and other literary magazines. She was a Pushcart Prize Nominee in 2021. You can find her work at IWriteHer.com. Follow on Twitter or Facebook.