Grieving anyone in life is challenging. This holds to be especially true when you lose a close loved one. The late poet, Max Ritvo shed light on how hard this can be in his poem, “Holding a Freshwater Fish in a Pail Above the Sea” from his collection, Four Reincarnations. 

See some lines from the poem below.

“my fish. Where have

you gone? I was

hoping to wake

from this dream

with you drawing

the curtains, a gold

glow on the sheet

wrapping me up.”

In this poem from Ritvo he compares his lost loved one to a fish, wondering where they have gone. He continues to hold onto the memory of them and the daily routine. This is evident as hopes to wake from his slumber to his person drawing the blinds. The blinds reveal sunlight which falls onto sheets with them. The warmth from the sun fills him with joy, making him feel safe. Max Rivto holds onto this feeling and in doing so is able to remember the warmth he once felt while in the presence of his loved one. Although the warmth is now coming from sunlight and not a person, one can hold onto memories. This is what we should all try to do with our loved ones who have passed. Remember the good and let it fill us with the warmth they once used to provide. 

Check out more by Max Ritvo here.

Image Credits:
Feature Image: Kristina Tripkovic, On Unsplash. Creative Commons.