She wore Grief

She wore Grief for weeks:
-----hardened mask, heavy burden,
-----visage of stone
Pain came to live on the surface
Seeped into her pores
Coursed through her blood
And we were witnesses, all,
To the Damage it was doing.


Grief had stolen her Essence:
-----sweet smile, warm nature,
-----joyous spirit
Traipsed around pompously in surmised Victory
Accompanied by sounds of whimpering
Shrouded in dark clouds of tears
And we were witnesses, all,
To what seemed to be the Inevitable Decline.


And yet, today, I saw her, peering from beneath the mask:
-----kind eyes, forgiving heart
-----quintessence of tranquility
Caught a glimpse of The Woman She Is
The Woman She Was, The Woman She Will Always Be
No longer buried or trapped in Darkness
And we are witnesses, all,
To her reemergence into the Glorious Light of Day.


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This poem is dedicated to Vickie Thompson.