Holding On in the Storm. (Part I)

In the dawn of love's sweet light,
We vowed to hold each other tight.
A union born of joy and laughter,
Promised 'forever and ever after.'

But fate, unkind, with shadows cast,
Brought storms that our young love surpassed.
Her brother's loss, a wound so deep,
Began the descent, a harrowing steep.

Then tragedy struck once more, unkind,
Her second brother left behind.
Her world crumbled, her spirit broke,
In sorrow's grip, life's cruel joke.

Her mind, a fortress now breached and torn,
Became a field where nightmares spawned.
Seeking solace in strangers' arms,
Chasing relief from haunting harms.

Her mind, once a haven of dreams so bright,
Became a battleground, day and night.
Affairs with shadows, pills in hand,
A desperate grasp at sinking sand.

Our home, once filled with love's warm glow,
Became a stage for a tragic show.
Nights of turmoil, days of dread,
Fear for what might lie ahead.

The pets, our little innocent souls,
Bore witness to the toll.
Their fear mirrored in my sleepless eyes,
As I guarded our fractured paradise.

Through police calls and hospital stays,
In the maze of her mind's darkened ways,
I stood by her, though torn and worn,
A heart heavy, a soul forlorn.

As our lease ended, a daunting change loomed,
In our shared space, memories entombed.
For her, the thought of moving, too stark,
A life unraveling, lost in the dark.

Divorce papers, a silent, mournful blow,
Her world, a maelstrom of woe.
Family turned away, no job in sight,
Her life's fabric torn, devoid of light.

That fateful night, in fear, I made the call,
A wellness check, her last wall.
Paramedics found her, pain's raw deal,
Claiming demons she must repeal.

To the hospital, she was swiftly taken,
Her mind, her soul, profoundly shaken.
In her darkest hour, her spirit cleft,
With wounds so deep, so bereft.

Upon release, with truths laid bare,
She whispered of a life in despair.
"I cannot be alone," her voice, a crack,
In her eyes, a world of black.

"Stay," I said, "under this shared roof,
Let this home be your unspoken proof."
Separate lives, yet together we stood,
In a bond forged by misunderstood.

Separate rooms, a house divided,
Yet in care, we were united.
Days are calmer, the rage less frequent,
In the ruins, a strange sort of decent.

In this journey of love, through shadows and light,
I've held her hand with all my might.
For even when love's path is obscure,
It's in the enduring, we find love pure.

In the garden of life, where thorns abound,
I've stood by her, my loyalty sound.
For love is not just joy and laughter,
It's staying true, through every hereafter.