Guilt or Grief
- Thomas Beckwith
- Jan 23
- 1 min read
by Thomas Beckwith
The feelings seem to be the same.
It leaves one lingering with pain.
Guilt ridden or grief stricken.
The reaction is similar.
To hide so the sunlight cannot peer through
the window shades.
The gravity of his mom’s sudden death
sinks in—his knees buckle as
he grapples with the loss and how to
move forward.
Guilt ridden or grief stricken.
That is the question?
He tries to find peace, but
his mind is racing.
He thinks about what he could have done differently.
Should he have stayed in-state and gone to college?
Why didn’t he visit home more often?
Why is this happening to him?
All these lingering questions eat away at
his heart, leaving him with depression.
She was not only his mom.
She was his best friend.
Guilt ridden or grief stricken.
The depth of the pain surges through,
his body. He shrieks in agony.
He lies on the floor of his apartment,
motionless.
Feeling alone and lonesome.
How will he ever move forward?
He is left with pain.
The feelings are one in the same.
***
Thomas Beckwith is an Assistant Director for the University of Florida’s Office of Academic Support, where he provides support to students including academic coaching, leadership development, and holistic success planning. He also enjoys writing in his authentic voice, finding it to be a therapeutic way to process experiences and overcome past trauma.
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