I Wanted to Grow Old With You – A Poem About Grief

To Rick: I Wanted to Grow Old With You

I wanted to grow old with you, but fate had other plans.
I vowed to love you until death as we stood holding hands.
We pledged to be together until our lives were through.
I thought we’d spend the golden years ahead, just me and you.

I know you’d be here if you could, you tried so hard to live.
You struggled to rise every day, gave all you had to give.
If love alone could save you, you’d still be here with me.
If love alone could bring you back, how lovely life would be.

But no one lives forever, so I go on alone.
I’m finding my “new normal,” attempting to move on.
The silence now is deafening, the empty bed brings tears
I dream of you most every night; I hope I will for years.

I look for signs that you’re around, perhaps I’ve gone insane
But I miss you so desperately, I’ll grasp at anything.
Our memories are all I have; I guess they’ll have to do.
I’m thankful for the years we had; so grateful I found you.

I know that I am fortunate, that some will never know
A love like ours, the joy we shared, before you had to go.
I miss your touch, your gentleness, your laughter, and your care
And now the pain at what I’ve lost is more than I can bear.

Our vows still echo in my head from on our special day
Our wedding song exactly voiced the words we longed to say…

You sang, “Grow old along with me,”
You said the best was yet to be.
We vowed til death that we’d be true
I wanted to grow old with you.