When Great Trees Fall
by Maya Angelou
When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.
When great trees fall
in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses
eroded beyond fear.
When great souls die,
the air around us becomes
light, rare, sterile.
We breathe, briefly.
Our eyes, briefly,
see with
a hurtful clarity.
Our memory, suddenly sharpened,
examines,
gnaws on kind words
unsaid,
promised walks
never taken.
Great souls die and
our reality, bound to
them, takes leave of us.
Our souls,
dependent upon their
nurture,
now shrink, wizened.
Our minds, formed
and informed by their
radiance,
fall away.
We are not so much maddened
as reduced to the unutterable ignorance
of dark, cold
caves.
And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.
Hasta la Raiz
by Natalia LaFourcade
Cuando escribo tu nombre
En la arena blanca con fondo azul
Cuando miro el cielo en la forma cruel
De una nube gris aparezcas tú
Una tarde suba una alta loma
Mire el pasado
Sabrás que no te he olvidado
Yo te llevo dentro, hasta la raíz
Y por más que crezca, vas a estar aquí
Aunque yo me oculte tras la montaña
Y encuentre un campo lleno de caña
No habrá manera, mi rayo de luna
Que tu te vayas.
My companion, grief
No one is the same person they were before experiencing a profound loss. I am no different.
In the months following my mother's death, I found unexpected comfort through the act of photographing and editing images. I had no intention or purpose other than to re-acquaint myself with photography.
While editing, I noticed trees became a recurring subject. Trees symbolize strength, letting go, and growth. Traits I hope to embody in my journey as a griever.
As Maya Angelou wrote, I can "be and be better. For they existed."
This project is dedicated to:
- my late mother, mi amor eterno, who taught me everything I know about love.
- everyone whose heart has shattered after losing a loved one and wondered how to mend a broken heart.