May You Feel Held

I cannot begin to wrap my mind
around the loss,
and disbelief,
the anguish and resistance,
feelings of betrayal that must shake 
your core
as the future had come to a halt.
You haven’t asked for this.
No one ever would.
You hold onto memories
as you slip further and further 
into this nightmare.
You look for gratitude in all that was
so that it would keep you warm
through these cold, dark times
when acceptance seems so far out of reach.

We ache for you;
pieces of our hearts scattered 
on the ground,
shattered by the magnitude 
of your heartbreak.
We feel for you,
and then we summon the strength to visualize
peace
and open our arms to extend the light.
Can you feel it?

May you feel the softness of our love 
as our hearts reach for yours,
and the strength of our thoughts
extending peace.
May you be soothed by the calm
of our presence
in thought 
and in person.
May you be held
by all the love that surrounds you.

You say you are learning how to cope
day by day;
I say I’m glad you’re learning 
but wish you never needed to.
I imagine all that you know and believe 
becomes inaccessible
when emotions and thoughts flood the system
until time does its own healing
and you are restored 
to some version of yourself 
you barely recognize.

But you will get through.
You will find a way
to move through this anguish,
moment by moment,
memory by memory,
putting one foot in front of the other,
until you can walk again,
and smile again,
and sing again,
no matter how long it takes.

Take all the time you need.
We are here for you 
in which ever way we might be of use.
Know that you will never be alone
in light
or nightmares.
While no words are adequate 
to communicate our sympathy,
we want you to know 
you are loved.
May you feel held 
by all the love that surrounds you.