A poem depicting the complex feelings following the endings of deteriorated relationships.

There is a saying that I frequently remind myself of.

Don’t water dead flowers.

It applies to many areas of my life, but I most often thought back to it when I had been attempting to salvage deteriorated relationships many times.

In these times, I acknowledged the ridiculousness of my attempts.

If a flower wilted, I wouldn’t bother watering it.

Even if I had grown this flower for years, I still wouldn’t bother watering it.

The same does not easily follow with people, though, and I tended to cling desperately to those leaving my life.

Even if I riddled my hands with thorns, reddened my fingers from so tightly grasping onto stems, and tired myself to preserve these flowers, I did not quit.

I watered them, even when I had thirsted.

Now, however, while I may have scars and roughness on my hands from my previous attempts, I have learned to let go of others.

I no longer fearfully imagine losing myself in the process of losing my relationships.

At last, I can cope with letting go of even my most loved flowers, knowing I will always have somebody in my garden while I am alive.

Process

I created this poem using my personal experiences. While writing it, I channeled the emotions I felt during these experiences, which resulted in a powerful delivery. Writing about personal experiences like these has been very healing for me. In addition to allowing me to express my emotions healthily, it helps me find the positives in troubling circumstances. After completing this poem, I felt much happier and lighter.