A short poem about removing my wedding rings.
Older widows wear their wedding rings forever as a way of honouring and remembering their long marriages often spanning several decades.
My marriage was cut short when my late husband died from brain cancer at the age of 39. We were married for 8 years, living with cancer for half of the time. When he died I was 37 and both of our children were under five. At first my wedding rings provided me with great comfort but then they started to irritate and aggravate me. It was time to remove them.
Turning Point
I’m a widow, not a wife.
He is no longer here to share my life.
He is not here to hold my hand
To raise our family together
like we planned.
Instead it is up to me
To step forward hopefully
When I gaze at my engagement and wedding rings
My heart no longer sings
I remove my wedding band
I know that he would understand
Together with his, it will wait
In a box
For our children to wear
at a later date.
My engagement ring, I move.
From my left hand to my right.
I feel my heart approve.
It shifts from dark to light.
It is time to laugh and play.
To welcome new adventures and joy that comes my way.
I will embrace my new identity
Living with serenity
In my heart he’ll always be
For eternity.
Rainbows & Rollercoasters 