When the breath is gone



They have mourning to a science
Almost makes it sound like art
They have books, pamphlets, and leaflets
On how to mend Your broken heart

They have their steps of grief
From PHD Joe and Bachelor Jane
They have so much pertinent advice
A person could go insane

Paper can’t explain the sleepless nights
Lying at home in your bed
Clinical hypothesis don’t soothe the soul
When your loved one is in a box dead

Do they understand the crying outburst
From I’m ok to I’m not ok
Can they hold my hand while
I fight back my depression that day

Can they quiet down the voices
Inside my head screaming this is all your fault
Can they stop all my happy memories
From getting stomped with a guilty thought

Explain me how to save my dog
Who mourns herself to the grave
Teach me how to stop avoiding family functions
By becoming a overtime working slave

Stop making this sound easy
Stop assuming you have it down packed
Your science and logic may be sound
But it’s the heart it lacks

A book can’t give me her kisses back
A book can’t talk on the phone at night
A pamphlet can’t laugh with me
And right now a leaflet can’t tell me it’s alright

I need a hug but I don’t want one
I need to talk but I can’t
I want someone to say it’s my fault but not
Mostly I just want you to understand

 That I’m

I’m loving but at times I don’t like myself
My smiles are real but so are my tears
I’m in a constant battle everyday
And I have been for years

Most days I rejoice a life
Other days I mourn that she’s sleep
I’m ok but I’m not ok
So all your step plans you can keep

About this poem

This is for anyone who is offered so much knowledge on how to grieve but feels like it lacks heart

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Submitted by Lakeyahg01 on July 07, 2021

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:32 min read
2

Quick analysis:

Scheme XAXA XBXB XCXC XDXD XXXX XEXE FXXX XGFG XXXX XXDX XHDH
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,557
Words 307
Stanzas 11
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

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    "When the breath is gone" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/104412/when-the-breath-is-gone>.

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