“Neverending Love” is a poem from my book, Grieving You: Poems of Love and Loss. The following is part of the poem.

I long for moments we once knew,
For one more day, one more “I love you.”

“I Carry You” is a poem from my book, Grieving You: Poems of Love and Loss. The following is part of the poem.

Time moves on, but I stay still,
Clinging to the spaces you now fill.
No lesson taught, no healing art,
Can teach your absence to my heart.

“The Weight of Pretending” is a poem from my book, Grieving You: Poems of Love and Loss. The following is part of the poem.

They say with time, the pain will fade,
But some deep scars are forever made.
You lose a child, the heart wouldn’t mend,
You always break and just pretend.

“Still Searching” is a poem from my book, Grieving You: Poems of Love and Loss. The following is part of the poem.

I still look for you in the morning light,
In quiet rooms, in stars at night.
Though my mind whispers you’re not there,
My heart keeps searching everywhere.

My heart ~ it aches, it pulls, it yearns,
For what is gone, but still returns,
In memories that gently sting,
In silence, where your laughter rings.

“The Weight They Bear” is a poem from my book, Grieving You: Poems of Love and Loss. The following is part of the poem.

For grief has waves that crash unplanned,
It doesn’t heed the world’s demands.
One scent, one sound, one photo near,
Can bring back love and pain so clear.

So, don’t ask why they’re hurting still,
Or why tears come fast, or why time stands still.

“In Our Own Ways” is a poem from my book, Grieving You: Poems of Love and Loss. The following is part of the poem.

No rule can tell us how to keep,
The ones we love, the ones we weep.
For each will choose their sacred art,
To hold them closely in the heart.

Some plant a tree, some write a song,
Some speak their name their whole life long.

The drawing depicts my family planting a tree for Kathy…including our pug, Ruffles. Four years later and the tree has grown tall and strong. ❤️‍🩹

If Love Could Have Saved You is a poem from my book Grieving You: Poems of Love and Loss. The following is one of the verses from the poem.

If love alone could guard your breath,
You would never walk the road to death.
If love could save, you would still be here,
Living forever … oh my sweet darling dear.

I realized that grief is no longer something I want to leave behind. It has become a part of who I am because it is woven together with my love for Kathy. In my grief, I find the pieces of Kathy that remain. I find her in the memories that make me smile, in the love that never fades, in the quiet moments when I think of her, and even in my tears. Grief tells me that she will always be a part of my life.

We often think of healing as letting go of our grief, but I have found that healing can also mean learning to carry it with love. My grief is not the opposite of love; it is a reflection of it. I carry my grief because I carry Kathy, and every memory, every tear, and every moment of love allows me to feel close to her once again. For everyone grieving someone they love, may you find comfort in the memories that remain and peace in knowing that love never truly leaves us.

A heartfelt thank you to an Amazon reader for their thoughtful review of my book, Grieving You: Poems of Love and Loss. Your kind words truly mean so much to me.

As I read through the collection of these poems, I’ve experienced a deep and heartfelt comfort in knowing I’m not alone on this journey of sadness and confusion, where every piece is me speaking to my beloved while we are learning to live with our loss. Dr. Boodoo has found through her own grief to articulate our innermost feelings by her beautiful writings for inner consolation of love expressed “In Her Name - Writing You Back To Me.”

My book, Grieving You, was written to help others navigate their grief. One of the most important things I learned through writing, researching, and creating it is that grief never truly leaves. It becomes a part of who you are. The empty spaces left behind by loss can’t be filled; instead, grief finds a way to settle into those spaces, shaping itself around every part of your being. And in that realization, I discovered something unexpected… in my grief, I see my Kathy. So I’ve learned to welcome it. It’s okay if it brings tears, sadness, or days when all I want to do is stay in bed. Because within those moments, I remember her, the sound of her voice, her little jokes, the quiet elegance of who she was. My hope is that when you read my book, you find those same moments, a way to remember, to feel close, and to hold your loved ones again within the pages. 💙 (her favorite color was blue)

I took this photo of my Kathy many years ago, on a morning I will never forget. It was early, and Kathy, her dad, and I went to the beach to walk and have breakfast. The world felt quiet and still, as if the shoreline belonged only to the three of us. After we ate, Kathy wandered to the water's edge, and I captured this moment. Her silhouette stood softly against the ocean, and I remember thinking how small she looked… yet how her love felt bigger than the sea in front of her. I still hold that image close. And sometimes, I wonder…if she hear me when I call her name.

The partial verse in the photo is from my poem "Do You Hear Me?”

This is the first verse from my poem, “The Weight They Bear”

If grief seems strange or hard to see,
Consider this: you’ve been set free,
From loss so deep, it scars the soul,
And leaves a heart no longer whole.

For those with a grieving heart, here is a verse from my poem, The Cure for Grief. I hope you find some comfort and healing in my words.

Seek helping hands when storms feel near,
From friends, from family, from those who care.
For though it’s hard for hearts to believe,
The truest cure for grief… is to grieve.

Never Coming Home, is my poem about that dreadful phone call that told me Kathy was no longer with us. Tomorrow marks 4 years since she passed away, and somehow it feels like day 1.

My mind feels foggy, and I don’t have much to say today, except please check on your loved ones and take care of yourself.

The poem Flowers For Kathy, was born from the flowers I choose for Kathy each week...a sacred ritual, a quiet promise I keep. It’s my way of showing up for her, of loving her in the small, steady moments, and of always doing something for her. ❤️

In the photo is one verse from my poem, My Gentle Rock.
I am thankful for the moments I had with my Kathy... the times we had laughter, and popcorn, and decorating, and road trips, and walking on the beach, and anything and everything that made me feel complete. I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she is not coming home... 3 years and 9 months later. 💔

This verse is from my poem, Still Searching.
I still look for you in morning light,
In quiet rooms, in stars at night.
Though my mind whispers you’re not there,
My heart keeps searching everywhere.

Grieving You: Poems of Love and Loss is available anywhere books are sold. All proceeds from my book goes to the work we do at In Her Name. ♥️

Grieving You: Poems of Love and Loss is available anywhere books are sold. The Amazon link is in the Bio. All proceeds from my book goes to the work we do at In Her Name. ♥️

This verse is from my poem, Your Name. The poem sheds light on why I will always say her name, share her stories, talk about her, and try my best every day to be more like her. She had the purest soul and the kindest heart... everything I hope to be.
Her name was / is Kathy. ❤️

The Waves of You is one of my poems about the waves of grief. Grief can be painful, overwhelming, and messy,.....but it’s also where I find my Kathy again. In those waves, I see her soft smile, I hear the faint echo of her laughter, and I can picture her dancing like no one is watching. In the waves of grief, she is there.... She will always be there.

I hope you find your beloved one in your grief.

These are two verses from my poem, Forever 25.

My grief keeps you close to me,
A tether to your memory.
Sometimes it brings your gentle smile,
And I sit with you... if just for a while.

But often, grief is sharp and deep,
A pain that robs me of my sleep.
It grips my heart, it takes my breath,
A shadow cast by sudden death.

These are two verses from my poem “Until We Meet Again”

"I dream of when we’ll meet once more,
Where time can’t part, nor close the door.
A warm embrace, your gentle face,
My soul at peace to feel your grace.

Until that day, my prayers will climb,
Through endless space, beyond all time.
My heart still calls, my soul still longs,
For where you are is where I belong."

These two verses are from my poem “The Grief That Never Leaves.” It is about how loss reshapes us, the pain that lingers, and the love that lives on. Our grief becomes a part of who we are, and so does the honor of carrying the memory of our loved one forward... every day.

“Losing you rewrote my soul,
Left behind a shattered whole.
Not just a loss, but a wave so wide,
It pulled the light from deep inside.

It’s not just missing who you were,
But how the world now seems a blur.
The laughter changed, the silence grew,
And every hope now carries you.”

“One More Talk.” is my poem that reflects a conversation I wished for countless times... and will continue to wish for until the day I see my Kathy again. In the picture, you is one of the verses from that poem.

Book Launch... Coming Soon.
Grieving You... Poems of Love and Loss.

This is a verse from the poem, Do You Hear Me? The poem came to life after wondering, over and over... and over again, if Kathy hears me when I speak to her. I still speak to her all the time.. I don’t know if she hears me, but with all my heart, I hope she does.

"I wonder if beyond the skies,
You hear my voice, my quiet cries.
Does love reach where the stars appear?
My heart calls your name… And I wonder if you hear."

Never Coming Home is a poem about the phone call that altered my entire being. I share two verses from the poem with you; it’s real, it’s raw, it’s my reality. My girl is never coming home. 💔

Book Launch, Coming Soon.
Grieving You.
Poems of Love and Loss.

This is the third year I’ve been living without my Kathy, and the grief feels different this time. I don’t know what future years will bring, but this year it has been mostly a quiet, deep ache, one that lingers and at times feels like it physically hurts my heart. I’ve had many trips to the doctor this year, and while I’m grateful to know my heart is healthy... it remains broken from missing her.

From the very first day we lost Kathy, I began documenting my grief, and I revisited those writings, reflecting on my relationship with loss. Out of that reflection, I’ve created a book of poems about grief, grieving, and my personal journey through it all. The book is in its final stages of preparation for publication, and I’ll share more details as the launch date approaches.

With that said, I would like to thank you all for your continued support and for walking alongside me on this journey of grief.