By J Young
I had always heard that grief
is a five-stage linear and sequential
process
When faced with the situation
I made the decision then and there to
hesitate
just in case I did things wrong
I practised the pause for a very long time
Many years passed
One day a woman on the radio
said that grief
is as individual to a person as their
fingerprint
During a brief foray into dermatoglyphics
as kids it was determined
that mine is a whorl
and this could indicate a
controlling nature and
lack of flexibility
I never looked closely at my father’s
hands
when I held them for the last time
but I think he would’ve been a whorl too
And I think he would’ve wanted
me to do it my way
Dedicated to my father, Chris Young
This poem was generously shared with Go With Grace, as part of Dying Matters Week 2024. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful words.
