Poem About Grief and Death
Held by the Hollow
A raw, reflective poem about grief and death, alcohol, and the slow path to healing. Written in the wake of loss, it explores how we numb and cope with death.
Back when my mom gave up on fight,
My world collapsed without a sound.
The days grew darker than the night,
And grief was all that wrapped around.
A counsellor, a puppy, tears
I grasped at straws, I drank too deep.
I tried to dull the rising fears
That haunted even restless sleep.
Was I an addict? I don’t know.
But looking back, the signs were there—
A hollow self with eyes aglow
From numbing what I could not bear.
I faced it mostly on my own,
And sometimes I forgive that part.
But photos show how much I’d grown
Detached from life, from light, from heart.
It’s sad how low I had to sink
To think that drink could pull me through.
Yet in those years, on edge, on brink,
Some warmth and friendship carried too.
With Denis, brother not by blood,
We drank and laughed through pain unfaced.
A bond that, through the silent flood,
Held firm despite the time we chased.
Now I am sober—most the time.
A drink or two, no more than that.
But even that small climb
Still hits me hard and leaves me flat.
The morning after always tells
A headache, sleep that fails to mend.
My Garmin charts the quiet spells
Where healing fights what I pretend.
I’ve learned that booze won’t bring me back
Or lift the weight I couldn’t name.
It leaves a trail, a thinning track,
And never once erased the blame.
Image Generated by ChatGPT - Held by the Hollow
About this Poem
Held by the Hollow is a personal reckoning with grief, addiction, and the long, uneven road to healing. Written in the shadow of maternal loss through suicide, the poem traces the quiet descent into alcohol as a coping mechanism. It’s not glamorised, but remembered with clarity and compassion. It captures the messy contradictions of survival: laughter in the darkest moments, friendships forged in pain, and the strange comfort of still not being entirely okay. This is a deeply personal poem about memory, reckoning, and the slow process of coming back to yourself, one sobering truth at a time.
Explore More on Grief and Healing
Poetry as Therapy - Discover how poetry becomes a lifeline through grief, offering space for release, renewal, and healing.
Other Poems that Speak to Grief and Loss
All That’s Left is She - A poignant exploration of the presence that remains long after a loved one is gone.
Wings Beneath the Quiet - A reflective piece on the silent burdens of grief and the unspoken weight carried within.
