Comfort in Loss: A Poem I’ll Never Forget

A few months after my son passed away, a friend dropped off a gift for me as well as a small card. My friend was no stranger to loss and grief. Two of her brothers died in adulthood from illness. The card she gave me wasn’t the standard Hallmark condolence card, but a card that contained a poem written by poet Ellen Brenneman. After losing a loved one, many people turn to poetry as a form of solace and comfort. With this poem, my friend found comfort in her loss and wanted to share it with me.

The Power of Poetry in Times of Loss

Poetry captures the depth of our emotions and provides a sense of connection and understanding. This poem touched me so much that every time I read it, I burst into tears. It was just a few months after my son died, and the powerful imagery of this poem was too much for me. I just couldn’t read it anymore. I stashed the card away in a desk drawer, and didn’t read it again till recently. Just now, four and a half years after my son’s death, am I able to read it again. Yes, sometimes I still cry when I read it, but now I find the words comforting. And I want to share it with you:

‘Don’t think of him as gone away
his journey’s just begun,
life holds so many facets
this earth is only one.

Just think of him as resting
from the sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days and years.

Think how he must be wishing
that we could know today
how nothing but our sadness
can really pass away.

And think of him as living
in the hearts of those he touched…
for nothing loved is ever lost
and he was loved so much.’

Until my son died, I never read this poem or heard of Ellen Brenneman. Whoever she was, she must have experienced loss that enabled her to write such a moving poem.

Finding Comfort in Words After Loss

Poetry has a unique ability to capture the depth of our emotions and provide a sense of connection, understanding, and comfort. Brenneman’s poem is poignant and comforting, reminding us that our loved ones are always with us, even after they’ve passed on. This poem speaks to the eternal nature of love. Our loved ones not only live on in our memories and hearts, but live in the next world, waiting to see us again when G-d wills it.