I’ve noticed it’s the quiet that hits the hardest
The vacancy of your notifications on a busy day
The little interruptions I became quite accustomed to
And I miss those ever-loving interludes with you
The way you’d plead and beg for more time
I never quite understood how little time we had left
If only I’d known, I would’ve never said goodbye
© 2026 Michelle Cook
Danny 💔 – November 20th, 1969 – May 11th, 2026. Neither Brian nor I will ever forget you… xoxo
It’s more than just saying goodbye to things
It’s breaking free from overwhelming desire
It’s relinquishing the constant yearning for more
It’s discovering the secluded shelter within yourself
It’s finding that place of complete acceptance and joy
It’s noticing the room of requirement within your soul
It’s spotting the harbor of hope that gives you courage
It’s unveiling the secret shelter where only you can dwell
It’s going inward to that realm of divine peace and love
It’s exploring the newfound sanctuary within your heart
It’s knowing that you are enough beyond all else
It’s learning to live without the rest of the world
© 2025 Michelle Cook
Photo generated with AI
I had to say goodbye,
not because of what was said
but because of the unsaid.
Your words just never materialized,
and words being as they are,
the lifeblood of my being,
I began to die from the lack of them.
Long ago, I knew your words so intimately,
but then they remained frozen,
resting frigidly on the tip of your tongue.
And even though I trusted you in earnest
with the conviction of a true believer,
you stopped being as you were,
the truth and spirit in you unrecognizable,
just a breath away from mine.
Your silence flooded my body,
and I was drowned by words
that never surfaced.
You felt empty to me
like ashes in somber refrain.
And the wind took you quietly away from me
on a path that never belonged to me.
It was in that moment I realized
we were never meant to be
because real love speaks
from deeply buried places
and never runs out of words.
© 2023 Michelle Cook
My mind draws a blank
as the new year looms;
what will happen,
I can only assume.
I’ve a mixed bag of emotions
sitting on my lap;
if some of them spill out,
I might just snap.
I know there is so much good
about to unfold,
so I keep looking at the ground
and do as I’m told.
Don’t question the process,
is what my thoughts say;
eventually, this wary feeling
will start to go away.
But with nobody to talk to,
my mind is in a haze;
still, I try to prepare
for this new life phase.
I’ve got nothing to lose
but everything to gain,
and saying goodbye to the past
will help me stay sane.
So, goodbye, I say
to another mixed year.
Freedom awaits;
the odds are very clear.
I’m adjusting my sails,
waiting for the wind
to prepare my course,
and then descend.
I pray for transformation
even though I don’t pray
and, hopefully, a shift
will come my way.
Clearing the dust,
looking for new views,
now’s the perfect time
for me to choose.
© 2022 Michelle Cook
*The drawing is my own attempt at creating a mixed bag of emotions. Fingers crossed that none of my emotions spill out over the coming year. 🙂 ~M xo
She realized
She couldn’t handle
The reality
Of the inevitable
So in her mind
A fated goodbye
Seemed entirely logical
It was too bad
Her heart
Could never agree
© 2019 Michelle Cook
For a month of writing prompts, click here; An unencumbered life
Her Writing Haven 