Sweep

When someone I love dies, I

Find something to sweep—

A driveway, a terrace—

Something usually unnoticed.

I don’t know why I sweep.

Moving the energy, maybe—

Perhaps avoiding grief,

Or controlling the things I can.

I sweep.

You write or draw it: How do you manage grief?

Nancy Oelklaus is the author of Journey from Head to Heart and Alphabet Meditations for Teachers. Her latest book, Simple Serenity, will be published in the first quarter of 2022.