Grief and Catharsis Through Writing
When my brother, Jesse Lamberth Skove (right), died in 2003, the bottom fell out of my world. I thought to myself, “Things will never be the same again,” and I was right. Things are different, now, and they’ll never go back to how it was when my brother was still alive.
Understandably, I had a rough time following his death. One thing that helped me to get through it was writing about it. Now that some more time has passed, I’ve started submitting those pieces for publication. “Lamentation,” a poem I wrote about his funeral, was published this week at the Scruffy Dog Review. Read it here. The timing is eerily appropriate; he would have been 20 tomorrow.
Have you had a loss in your own life? You don’t need to be a poet to benefit from the healing power of writing about what you’re going through. Check out these resources for some support and some encouragement as you handle your own grief:
Tags: catharsis, death, Gregory-Orr, grief, Health, Jesse-Lamberth-Skove, journal, therapy, widow, woman, women, Womens-Health, WritingRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Depression, Encouragement, Inspiration, Mind, Spirit, Wellness
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5 opinions for Grief and Catharsis Through Writing
Sydney
Jan 23, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Your poem was beautiful and great tribute to your brother. I’ve found artistic expression and volunteering to be effective ways of handling grief. Thank you for having the courage to discuss such a personal experience - it’s important for those in grief to know they are not alone.
KWiz
Jan 24, 2007 at 2:50 am
What a beautiful poem. My mom passed away on July 26, 2006. She had a six-year bout with lung cancer. It’s not been the same without her; things just don’t feel right. It’s sort of good that I live 750 miles away from the family because I don’t have to see her house. But it’s hard.
In your poem, you talk about how Jesse’s room was cold after his death. I remember when my mom was taken to the hospital a couple of weeks before her death. By this time, she was delusional, but she let me ride in the ambulance with her. I returned to her house from the hospital a few hours later, and when I walked in, it felt so empty, even though my father was there. Her spirit left, and at that moment it was very real that she would never return. After she passed a couple of weeks later, I couldn’t wait to get back home.
You’re right. It is therapeutic to write about loss. I’ve done it a little bit, but I plan to address it a bit more at my site. Thank you for offering yourself to help others.
Sandy
Jan 24, 2007 at 4:57 am
{{{Kristen}}}
I could tell it was your brother as soon I saw his picture. The same great grin and mischievous face.
Your poem made me cry. Cathartic, indeed.
Thanks for sharing your poetry and thoughts.
God bless,
Sandy
Kathy
Jan 24, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Kristen, even though I’m a *tad* older than you, our paths to professional-writer status seem to have mirrored each other. I too began as a poet, going all the way back to the age of sixteen when I lost my mother. In rereading those poems now, I can almost see the healing process taking place. Having just been through a bout of losing three loved ones, I suppose it’s not surprising that I recently sharpened the old poetry pencil and started writing for myself again.
Hsien Lei
Jan 24, 2007 at 10:53 pm
Thanks for sharing that with us, Kristen. :’(
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