Does the Body Ever Get Familiar with Grief?

–For Oby, Albert, Quadri, and everyone who left us too early
 
Does the body ever get familiar with grief?
This sinking, this drowning
Going underwater and unable to find an anchor
 
Does one ever get used to sorrow?
The smile on the face of a stranger
The singsong laughter of a passer-by
A look that reminds of exactly
How much you loved life
 
Is there a day when one finally forgets?
This broken-down edifice
The ruin of what use would have been a magnificent temple
How you were wrested from us
The cold embrace of death
clamping her ugly hands around you
 
Do the memories ever fade?
Another birthday comes along
The memories resurge again
and threatens to choke
The what-ifs besiege our facade of healing
 
We would try to banish the tears
Console ourselves with thoughts of a life well lived
Make rings of joy around memories that grate
Turn away lest the world see our hurting soul
 
Would this body ever get familiar with grief?
We learn to live past the hurt
The good ones never see the light of day
The world remains a place too cold for angels
*“It’s too cold outside for angels to fly”
 *From Ed Sheeran’s A Team- It’s too cold outside for angels to fly

Adebimpe ADEYEMI is a poet, writer, and lawyer who uses her pen to spotlight stories and issues that she feels passionate about. She has been writing under the pen name “Fumsymoon” since 2011, and over the years, her pieces have been an extension of her advocacy and activism. Her work has been published in the Poems from Heron Clan series, Nigerian Tribune, Sahara Reporters, Yiaga Africa’s Beating the Odds book series, Cult of Clio, and other publications. She can be found on all social media platforms—@fumsymoon.