Poetry by Michelle Kinder
Beneath a deep, felt sense of joy and peace
runs a river of grief.
Hollowed out places in the heart, still raw
from a parade of loses.
A generous river – giving life to outsized capacity
for joy and for gratitude and for courage.
The opposite of something missing.
Bearing the fruit of texture, humor and
a life lived in
A technicolor ‘awake’– tentatively, and then boldly, embodied
in the letting go of too many, too early.
A hunger for contribution fueled by beloveds
snatched from earth before they could do all
you imagined they were here to do.
The generous river of grief that takes so much
and kindly leaves even more behind.
About the Poet
Michelle Kinder is a nationally-recognized speaker and consults with leaders and organizations invested in social change. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and has articles featured in TIME, Washington Post and Huffington Post. She grew up in Guatemala and lives in Dallas with her husband, Patrick, and their daughters, Maya and Sophia.