by Ruth Woodhouse

Created on: May 05, 2008

The tears are never far from my eyes,
Their appearance comes as no surprise.
In an instant the full well leaks,
And tears slide silently down my cheeks.

Their source is deep within my soul,
Reservoir of grief beyond control.
Hidden away there in caves of sorrow,
Are hurts that I may feel tomorrow,
Stowed away in years of great sadness,
While clutching tight to remnant gladness.

A decade of anguish lies buried there.
Heartaches and distress - too much to bear
All at once - were pushed into the store,
With hope they'd see light of day no more.
But the tears unshed for all that pain,
Were stored there too again and again.

Then came the day of climactic grief,
Ending too soon our child's life, so brief.
Unbearable sorrow! Some must go
To the canyon of mourning below,
So I could survive from day to day,
With my angel now so far away.

But reservoirs only hold so much,
And the way of suppressed grief is such
That it can't be forever contained
Within the soul, and always restrained.
When its limits are reached, there's no doubt
It overflows and tears will seep out.

Then every poignant memory that's stirred
Triggers tears without even a word.
A sight or a sound, a taste or smell
Free tears that close to the surface dwell.

It's nature's way to express my pain,
Easing pressure again and again.
Tears set my soul free of captive grief
And for a time they bring some relief
As I mourn the loss of one so dear,
Day by day, week by week, year by year.
When sorrow o'erwhelms me, tears will flow -
Straight from my soul - they must be let go.

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