When Grief Comes Knocking
A Poem
Grief, an unwanted guest who came knocking at the door.
You questioned its presence,
yet had no choice but to welcome it.
The house is set,
cleaned with the groans of your heart’s cry.
And now grief makes herself at home
establishing a domain.
Slowly, she grips you,
head bowed, fists clenched
you become the victim
of this unwanted guest.
But suddenly, you realize
this guest has taken up too much space in your home,
birthing clutter: depression, anxiety, fear, double-mindedness.
And now you’ve come to the end of yourself,
realizing you are no longer
the lord over your own home.
Grief, the unwanted guest,
has taken dominion.
You long and crave for liberation.
Deep down, you know
this guest can’t stay much longer
it must go,
and it must take its births with it.
So, on your quest for freedom,
you notice a crack of light through the window
the light of redemption,
an epiphany of breakthrough.
And alas, there it is
you realize you are the one
who holds the key to the door.
Though grief crept in unwantedly,
you still have the choice
to respond to its presence.
You decide to shake the shackles
from the depths of your being,
and walk in the restoration
that the light of healing brings.
For though this unwanted guest
may come knocking again,
you now realize
the choice of how it’s welcomed
is yours.
Will you make room
and set your house so comfortable it fits in?
Or will you stand guard over your home,
knowing you have the power
to live through its presence
and clear the clutters it leaves behind?
-By Iyanu Adegbite