Losing a dear friend

After losing a very dear friend,
I am holding on
to the moments I had,
wishing
they could last forever.

I don’t yet know
how to turn these moments
into memories,
but am learning
that grief
asks for presence
for stillness
for tenderness.

Grief feels like love,
with nowhere to go.

And by sitting quietly
with all that I feel,
by not turning away
I start to honour, both
what I have lost
and what I have loved.