Anguish, pain, worry, grief, burdens, abandoned hope, buried dreams--all carried alone, apparently, and in silence. How tragic it seems to us that these persons don't lighten their personal suffering by confiding in and sharing with others.

And yet who are we to judge? They might well have chosen a pathway of intimate communication with God. Or another unknown way of handling their situation. In a free-choice world, it is theirs to own.

For the more outgoing stoic, it is a stark reminder that when the "unbearable" visits our personal life, talking with a close friend or professional of choice may provide us another viewpoint or allow us to test the reality of what we believe to be true.

For me, I know that I am never alone. God is everywhere. "I am with You and You are with me."

But I ask God's blessing on all who suffer, especially the unknowns.

Richard

Poetic excellence abounds in "Life Goes On...".

In admiration,


Andre Emmanuel Bendavi ben-YEHU

I enjoyed this sensitive write, however the following lines are my favorite:

A life of undisclosed grief…
confined safely within.

Bearing isolated burdens,

Good work and rhythm.

Thank you Joyce for dropping by my short story. Your comments were much appreciated.

Nordette

A great friend is always remembered.

beautiful, absolutely beautiful tribute...wise words...great flow and rhythm...splendid use of imagery...all in all this is an outstanding piece of work.

This is a heartfelt tribute to your friend, Joyce. Thank you for sharing it. Love and blessings to you,

Regis

Smile and the world smiles with us, weep and we weep alone. The world looks upon the visible us, but God sees the invisible us and knows.

Regards
Dai

Joyce...You have touched on the tormented souls of many today. My humble desire in what I write is to try to convince others that there is way to deal with life's challenges and be able to smile on the inside as well as on the outside. Jesus ... He is our only hope...He did say we should cast our burdens upon Him. What many do is tell Him about their burdens...and instead of leaving them there for Him to deal with, they take them back...and continue to worry etc. The things is to release...and allow God's peace and grace to enter our lives. It all come down to two choices...release or hold on. How deeply do we trust the words of God!

I'm truly sorry your friend had to deal with her pain alone...

God Bless
Much love
Lena

Have a lovely weekend up in the mountains of Kentucky! :)

Very true and very nicely done. Liz

BRILLIANT poem!....Well-expressed!!!!!!
Joyce, you are one talented poetess!!!!!

Sandie May Angel :o)

WOW! Lady J!
You hit every note on love, life and death HERE! and Private feelings kept to oneself!
A most powerful gem I will treasure!
YOur chosen words astound me!
YOu have a gift, it's called Love and Words, and you express them eloquently!
STay Strong!
STay INspired!
Remember the wonderful memories, that were made...
BE Happpy!
Love, Sheee

This is a beautiful and knowledgeable poem about how some wish to be private. Not everyone wishes for the world to know of their sufferings and it is not for us to judge. This poem was written with a fuller deeper understanding than given credit.

God really wants for all of us to be happy . . . never had He intended what our free will has created, and by no means was He unaware . . . So, as "Life Goes On" and we help others along our way, we truly are all going the same direction . . . Well, we can only hope
Suffering silently can sometimes be metamorphosing from a caterpillar to a butterfly, so to speak, . . . it just depends on how thick we weave the cocoons and how soon we fly!
Enjoyed the thought processes here . . .
Love and Peace~
Kimmy~

There is strength ... and then there is STRENGTH. This is a fine remembrance to your friend..))

Myrna

A sad but outstanding write
About someone loving and close to you
I can almost feel her pain
Through your wonderful naration
Of this brilliant piece
Peace be with you

Love & Peace
William

Truly nice Joyce...it is the reflections upon passed memories where we find ourselves cherishing life that much more...

enjoyed this much...

Art Sun...

Joyce, this is a beautiful poem--it describes so many of us. From your poem one can just feel the pain, grief, and worries this poor woman suffered. You really know how to capture emotion in your writings.

'artistic soul food'. now that's a nice way to put it. cheers and keep writing on your BUSY vacation!

My dear friend Joyce,
I have always admired your sensitivity and passion for life.....especially your emotional portrayals of inner growth and struggles......Your kind words touch me deeply and I am so grateful for the honor to call you friend. I look forward to many more opportunities to share artistic soul food......

Abundant peace and love!

Bill

<3 **********E x c e l l e n t********** <3

PS: You cannot know how I have come to count on your warm and generous and well-thought-out reviews of my mixed bag of
'off'rings.' You are a jewel, Miz Joyce. You truly are. xOx Pea xOx

I see the hope in this piece the most... and the determination to rise above and beyond the adversity! I always enjoy your poems and your Blog so much!

T-M

Joyce your love shos in this remembrance of your friend.... I often hope all can be set free from anguish, guilt, lonliness but until they know him deeply and personal it is often a life of pain and suffering held captive of bondage.

She was blessed to have you as a Dear Friend...



Blessings this was a joy to read your work once more.



Josie

Beautifully written remembrance, Joyce! She is now in relief from all of her trials!

ET

Yes dear lady it does...you only realize that once you lost someone you loved!!

Love Tinka

Joyce,

Yes, it does. Poignantly expressed sadness, yet inspirational: bless you.

(((HUGS))) and love, Karla.

Yes it does dear Joyce - relentlessly! Someday, perhaps, someone will be remembering us favorably, (or otherwise) and will be writing about it as you have done here so graciously. Bittersweet emotions skillfully expressed.
Light and Wisdom ...
Richard

Life does go on, even in times of trouble. That's when one needs to learn to lean on the Lord; He'll see you through life's trials! I know!

(((HUGS))) and much love, your friend in Tx., Karen Lynn. :D

Beautiful write, my friend; very well done! BRAVA!

To live a life of "silent desperaton" and smile through the pain is evidence of the power of the human spirit to persevere through this life. This piece reminds me that there is a better place for all of us who remain faithful. Beautiful write, Joyce!
~Butch Howard

This is well-written, Joyce. I like the repetition of 'on the outside...I smile again'. That really works within this poem.

Love,
Susan

A doctor told me many years ago that keeping turmoil in lets the bomb build energy. I felt this one Joyce, nicely done!

Suffering in silence can be very difficult indeed and still able to render a smile to those around you.

Wonderful tribute to a friend, Joyce.

I know you still miss her

Walt

Very powerful and touching,Hugssssssssss

This poem hits home for me Joyce! I try to smile as life goes on, but sometimes I feel like its passing me by too quickly....M

You are so right on this one. The drum beat of life continues on as if on a neverending march through time. We unfortunately are left to savour the memories.....

Be safe,
Karen

Life does, but one must never leave with the music kept within

Powerful Write the things you cannot see behind a

smile you're beautiful words in this outstanding poem has Express to me that your friend used to hide behind a smile so no One could ever see her pain,sadness her confusion and need to express True feelings That are pondering in the

Heart/soul so often people

Hide their sadness and loneliness behind this masque, they smile day In day out Life goes on and pain grows heavier in the heart!

You have captured beautifully the intense feelings and emotions Many of us hide behind the masque of the smile!

Outstanding write and so powerful!

Love Peace and Happiness to you....Morning Star

Through it all...life does go on, indeed.