Leadership

Talking to Grief by Denise Levertov: Reading and Meditation

May 22, 2020  • Todd Breyfogle

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Talking to Grief, Denise Levertov

Meditation

I have raised a puppy. Annoyance and inconvenience for a while, yes; grief, no. The dog has long been regarded as a best friend to human beings. The dog is patient, loyal, kind. Like love, the dog endures all things. What does it mean to keep grief as a dog, not as a pet but a companion? What does it mean to care and feed grief as a permanent guest? Grief should be ushered in and given its place, not brushed away as a stray cur. “I should coax you/ into the house and give you/ your own corner.” To think grief has been living under my porch all this time….What does it mean to trust grief, to invite it in? What grief have you been keeping homeless? What intruders might be kept at bay by tending your grief? 

Todd Breyfogle, Denver, Colorado

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