#R.I.P. G-Pops

By AME

You left so fast and I cried for days
I’ve been angry and beyond depressed
All these bottled up feelings are hard to express
I smoked so much weed and drunk so much drank
I didn’t even shower and ran the streets until I stank
Why did you leave when I needed you the most
I too wanted to disappear and be a ghost
I began to hate and be cold hearted
Trouble grew around me in which it all started
So many days are forever dark
I still see your body being rolled on that casket cart
I’m still hurting but I know God called you home
It’s just hard believing you’re really gone
I will see you again and oh what a day it will be
But in the meantime, I’m sorry for not being me
I’m growing stronger and have given my life to Christ
Although you’re gone I know heaven is nice
So please ask God continue to hold my hand
That through all this pain I can humbly stand

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10 Comments

  1. Lisbeth on May 7, 2019 at 7:29 AM

    This is a great poem honestly it made me want to say “yes you understand how I feel” . My mother passed away and I used to always write about it . I tell myself as well I know God called her home ” when It get tough thinking she is gone .

  2. molly on May 8, 2019 at 4:11 PM

    I really like the rhythm and rhyme in this poem. I can hear it being spoken as I read it–very nice. Although you write that “bottled up feelings are hard to express,” I think you do a great job expressing them! Asking for help is a wonderful thing, and I hope the memory of your lost loved one is a blessing for you.

  3. Sarah S. on May 26, 2019 at 8:44 PM

    This is such an emotionally wrenching poem, and so immediately relatable to anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one. I think what makes this poem great is that it is so personal, and yet at the same time universal– I think that most people can relate to lines like “Why did you leave when I needed you the most,” “I too wanted to disappear and be a ghost,” “It’s just hard believing you’re really gone,” and the poem’s final request to be able to bear the pain and somehow make it through. I am so sorry for your loss, AME. I hope that writing and cherishing your memories will bring you comfort.

  4. John on March 20, 2020 at 11:52 PM

    I am very sorry for your loss, I pray that God continue to bring you through and give you hope to keep pushing. you are a great writer.

  5. Kayelynn on April 14, 2020 at 6:55 PM

    AME,

    Heart-wrenching and brave poem. I’m sure your grandfather is looking down on you, happy that you’re growing from your past decisions. Your poem’s rhyme and rhythm were really good as well, you don’t sugarcoat anything and you let the readers know your emotions. I hope that you’re standing strong!

  6. Hayley on April 15, 2020 at 3:05 PM

    Hi AME,

    Your love for G-Pops is really clear. I can feel how much pain you were in, the image of his “body being rolled” into a casket is raw and powerful. I am so sorry for your loss and hope that writing can help you relive your memories with G-Pops. May he rest in peace and your heart be at peace knowing he’s in heaven. Thank you for sharing.

  7. Caroline K. on May 1, 2020 at 12:06 PM

    Dear Ame,
    I connect with this poem as I have lost many loved ones. I applaud you on being able to express these emotions and allow others to relate to them. I am sorry for your loss, but I hope that expressing these emotions through poetry is allowing you to feel grief and heal on your own time.

  8. Andrew Christianson on May 3, 2020 at 7:20 PM

    AME,

    Your poem is so incredibly relatable to me personally. By the age of five years old I lost all 4 of my grandparents, two aunts, and three uncles. For years, I would ask myself, “Why couldn’t you be here to love me?”. I had to learn many hard lessons at a very young age. I would often see pictures at my friend’s house with their loved ones and reminisce of the holes in my family photos. I wish you nothing but peace in your future.

  9. Grace on February 11, 2023 at 5:39 PM

    I loved reading this poem because it showed just how much grief can affect someone. Some people believe that there is or should be one specific way in which someone should grieve their losses, but the truth is, that’s just not true. There is not one way that someone should grieve, and most people say, “Well I know exactly what I would do if it were me in that situation.” The reality is, no one knows how a feeling as overwhelming as grief will affect them in the moment. I think this poem shows the buildup of trying to keep it all under control and trying to manage it all. I think it was so powerful how you mentioned that the trouble started to surround you because there was no other way to console yourself. I was so glad that your darkness was able to be turned into something positive and that religion helped you cope. I also think that you should know that your loved one is proud of you and is guiding you though they may not be here physically anymore. I hope that you have forgiven yourself for the way in which your grief affected you, because you went through an extremely impactful loss and it’s understandable that you weren’t fully you anymore.

  10. NB on November 30, 2023 at 3:28 PM

    You’re poem really conveyed the strong emotions you feel for your G-pop. I’m terribly sorry for your loss. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your poem, I know it will help others through their grieving process. I’m encouraged by your decision to give your life to Christ.

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