When you had to leave,

I felt my heart split in two. 

The edges were jagged and I was hollow.

Knowing this,

you gently cupped my broken heart

in your hands and said

“I’ve got you babe.”

You loved and nurtured

my shattered heart until

the ache softened

with the passing of time.

When you knew I was ready,

you reached down from the stars

 and placed my heart

back into a sacred space within me.

I heard you quietly say -

“I have to leave, you need to let me go.”

Your voice lovingly whispered in my ear

“You’ll be okay – 

I’m just a promise away 

because you know … 

‘I’ve got you babe’ is forever”

Laurel D. Rund

October 19, 2009

About Laurel D. Rund My passion for words and art emerged in 2009 when an insightful grief counselor introduced me to Expressive Arts therapy after the death of my husband of 42 years. Though it may seem difficult to imagine, such a tender and emotionally charged time can also be filled with a sense of self-awareness and personal transformation. With nothing to lose, I jumped right in. Sometimes the artwork came first, acting as a catalyst for my poetry, and at other times, my poetry inspired me to create a piece of story art. All of these endeavors helped soothe my wounds and put me on a path towards healing and renewal. As a writer and an artist, I have successfully published my first book “Emerging Voices” which is a personal story about grief and loss healed through words, art and journaling. Several of my articles and stories have been published by the Open to Hope Foundation, Author’s Den, Baby Boomer Women and More.com and can be found on my website EssenceofLaurel.com. In addition, my book, artwork and notecards are being shown and at art shows, shops, and can be found on the Fine Art America site. As I have evolved, so has my artwork and writing into “story art.” It is my new playground, a reflection of my spirit and my life’s journey. For me, as Vivian Green so poignantly said: “Life’s not about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain!”