Holding It Together

I saw a paperclip on my desk today and it reminded me

Of all the pieces of my life

Once shattered on the floor

No glue or tape would ever make it whole

I still know this to be true

BUT

The paperclip with its circular flow tells a story of assembly

Piecing parts together

Organizing a collection

It was then I realized, if I took my time

Measured every fragment of my soul, old photographs, faint memories

And selected what I cherished

Now intensely knowing the depth of what can be lost in life

I might find a new arrangement

That included profound grief and future hope

I gathered in my mind what was most important now

With color coded files

All organized in a row

Time with close friends and dear family

Nature and its beauty

Memories of you

And my desire to keep you present

You will always be my person

My heart forever broken

But perhaps, if I clip pieces of my grief, my past and my new life securely

It will hold

And I will now navigate my current existence

A bit better as it unfolds

Because I have the paperclip

That does not need repair

Nor does it wash out like white out dripping on my desk

But instead holds in place all the pieces of my heart

So, I may go forward with love, grief, memories, and courage

All tethered into a single composition

The bereaved person

Weaved back together

A paperclip secures the portions of my new entity

Somehow

Linked loosely

As one

The paperclip successfully

Utilized

Designed to gather

What was once undone

Written with all rights reserved by:

Katherine S. Deschene