…to losing
There is no art to losing
the art is in the finding
the finding of loss
the art is in recognising
that loss is intangible
that it cannot be held nor kept
for if loss has arrived in our heart
the object of the loss
is lost already
what remains is ours
how we live with it
or without it, is a choice
there is no art to losing
we cannot deliberately
lose something
for something deliberately left behind
is not lost
we know where we left it and why
there is no art to losing
but then there is loss
the suffering after the fact
after the losing
the dark caverns of loss
are deep and desolate
the debris of mourning
strewn hither and yon
the chaos unwittingly created
in the emotional maelstrom
that inevitably follows
the whirlpool of feelings
the heart overwhelmed
by memories and doubts
there is no art to losing
reaching for anything
and everything
to make sense of it all
falling willingly into the currents
endlessly moving
in ever increasing concentric circles
getting further away
from the centre
in every rotation
the centre
which is the starting point
the moment
when the concept of losing
becomes the reality of loss
and we finally understand
that there is no art to losing
© Ann Bagnall
