Letting Go

The world turned on its side

you held on with all your strength

trying desperately not to fall off.

Things you held dear

were sliding past you

into the abyss.

You cried, ached, screamed out in pain

at the loss of all familiar.

Others seemed glued

to the earth,

walking by staring at you

as if they didn't know you,

unaffected by your cries,

unable to know your struggle,

throwing advice at you,

you held, knuckles white,

to all you once knew.

Your grip was slipping

you felt panic deep as an ocean,


Finger by finger you lost your hold

on all you had known,

all you'd been told and sold.

Holding tight to the life you knew as your own

you bucked and thrashed,

tried not to let go.

Weakness crept into your body,

crept up from your toes

swallowed you whole,

you let go.

Free falling through despair

perfectly complete.

The bottom caught you,

held you in your pain,

that weighed down your heart

and darkened your brain.

You find your feet,

look about a place you do not know.

Here you are left with lessons taught by your loss:

dreams are just dreams until you make them real,

no one can really know how you feel,

you decide what you call wrong and call right,

you determine when to let go or to fight,

you know your mind as no one else can,

you must decide where it is that you stand.