lenten journal: we have to grieve our lost good days

I opened The Atlantic to see what was new and saw this title “We Have To Grieve Our Lost Good Days.” Before I could click the link I was writing a poem in my head, so I quit clicking and went to writing. Now I will go back and read the article.

we have to grieve our lost good days

was the headline of the article by julie beck in the atlantic magazine I want to make sure to give her credit and I will go back and read it but her first eight words made me to write before I read to think of what I have to grieve before I read her list of losses

I lost seeing jason isbell live lyle lovett and roseanne cash too and john prine all together I lost the chance to travel and talk about the color of together and a whole year of barn dinners and trips back to durham we lost our trip to ireland some of that stuff will happen but we have to grieve because a lot of life has been lost and will stay lost

I just read back through my losses and was struck by the predominance of I when julie beck said we and all of a sudden all I can see is over a half a million people who have lost their lives all their good days for no good reason

we have to grieve our lost good days alongside of grieving everything else and what should we do with the fear that we could forget what this pain has taught us and just be glad it’s over our heartbreak makes us capable of so much more good grief has a long memory we have to grieve

Peace, Milton