When words are all we have...

Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

Christina Rossetti

I have always felt that the power of poetry lies in its ability to span generations, continents, cultures, societies and find a way of connecting the individual voice across these divides. Because it speaks from the heart, it reached into the heart.

Recently, I have received the details of the Cruse (Tyneside) Poetry Competition, inviting people to submit poems on the subject of Loss and Bereavement. This competition is to raise money for the services of Cruse, who offer free counselling and support for those affected by grief and loss. The judge of the competition is Linda France, a beautiful poet and wonderful woman, from whom I received the invaluable benefit of mentoring in the very early stages of my journey as a 'professional poet'.

I first found out about the competition when I wrote to Linda to tell her about the loss of my sister and to share with her my own difficulties in putting into words the feelings of grief that overwhelm at such times. Her reply was, as always, gentle and guiding.

Over the last few months since my sister died, I have tried to find the words for my own loss and feelings of confusion. At first, all I could write was "Sue is dead" over and over, as if by writing this bold statement, I would come to understand why. It is still a statement that runs through my head every day when I wake and throughout the day, even in this busy time with Django.

I didn't write with the intention of writing poetry, but with the need to try and find meaning and sense in the journey. Now I find myself re-reading these words and finding poems in them - in itself an important part of the healing process.

So, for those of you who are interested, do visit Linda France's website and download a form for the competition. Publication is the prize, no cash value but your entrance fee supports the valuable work that this group does, and the poems that are included in the final publication will hopefully help others to feel less alone with their own loss, to feel as though their own very individual and lonely journey of grief is, at least, shared in some way.