This Sad Blister

Cherry

By Jane Hyphen

Fri, 27 Jun 2025
  • 485 reads
15 comments
 

 

This sad blister sits upon

the most sensitive part of myself.

During the astral detachments of sleep, 

I cruelly forget and how my blister grows;

a painful weight, throbbing taught

as life brushes past, pressing upon it

until it bursts again and I must nurse it

and not go about a broken ugly sob unto the world.

 

At first my blister grew fervent and red,

pushing against every function of my being.

I emptied it with tears but at once it filled again,

drowning in its own dedicated draw,

limitless fluid, the fruits of my investment,

when love flowed into the seas of what we knew.

Those lively waters now as still as mirrors,

with the lustre of what could have been,

that tide’s gone out forever but the moon

still glistens quietly upon its surface.

 

It will never truly heal, my blister,

still I tread, lightly at first

upon the surface of the earth.

I surrender to my blister, my natural protector,

shielding deep memories, long buried treasure,

preserved in time;  a library of you and me.

Slowly unlocking, not to read all at once,

but to sit forever among the pictures.

 

Certificate U
Poem

Comments

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I hope your grief heals over so you are not aware of hurting all the time. This is fabulous but I am so sorry

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Thank you, Di and thanks for the cherries. Grief is different with an animal, it's more instantly accessible and I think it taps into unresolved grief from the past. 

 

Submitted by Turlough on

These are brilliant words so filled with sadness. I'm very sorry that it's been necessary for you to write them and I sincerely hope the hurt subsides.

Turlough

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Hi Turlough, thank you so much. We lost our cat in the most horrific way and he was such a character and loving his life so much. Losing a pet never gets any easier does it and each loss is different.

 

Submitted by Turlough on

I know it's so very hard Jane. to lose a cat. New cats can be had, and they will be lovely little joybringers, but they can never be a replacement for those characters we've loved before.

We try to console ourselves with the thought that a lost cat couldn't have had a happier life while he or she was with us and, as you said, they sit forever among our pictures after they've gone. But it's still far from easy.

I know what you're going through and I hope your sadness eases soon.

Turlough

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Thank you x

 

Submitted by celticman on

I've never had a blister that's sad. But I guess parts of us resonate more than others. A middle-finger to our bodies. 

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

That's true, celticman. It's honestly been worse than losing my dog because of circumstances but we all experience events differently I suppose. Thank you for your comment.

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

You are right, the grief for an animal often nudges previous griefs. This is so very well written, and although it's intensely personal it's also completely recognisable and relatable for the reader. Thanks for posting.

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Thank you airyfairy. These things hit us from time to time, often when we're least expecting, and we seem to experience an emotional purge alongside the grief. I'm reassured to know that this peice is relatable and not obscure or self indulgent.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

I'm so sorry to hear of the pain you are feeling Jane.  Losing a pet is devastating, especially when they've been such a big part of your family.

Your poem brings home the grief that you're feeling. I hope with time you will be able to write of the fond memories shared.

Take care.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Thank you Jenny. We almost didn't bring this cat when we moved because he'd moved in with one of our neighbours and we only really bonded with him properly in the last two years but he was such a funny character and so gentle. 

 

Submitted by marandina on

That's a powerful lamentation and an apt metaphor.

Grieving for an animal is tough. I think it's because they are so vulnerable and dependant on us. There's a feeling of inevitable guilt that comes with everything else. 

A beautifully expressed sentiment. [I am so sorry for your loss]. 

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Thank you marandina. I'm getting used to life without him. My dog misses him terribly but there's space for another animal as Turlough said. I'm not good at living without animals.

 

Submitted by Sooz006 on

Horrible for you.  My cat was killed right outside our gate, and the person who ran him over just left him there. I try not to wonder if he was trying to crawl home to me after being hit. I'll never know. I'm guessing yours was a horrible taking that happened before his time. Awful for you and captured so beautifully in the poem. 

We also lost our dog, Teagan, in January, a German Shepherd; she was only ten and was mostly paralysed all through Christmas, though not in pain. I wanted to let her go on Christmas Eve, but Mark wasn't ready, and we finally did it on 14th January. I feel that we let her down by waiting. My blister breaks every time I think about her ... so thank you for writing such a beautiful, compassionate poem.