Who I am.

I write about the landscape of grief, nature, and the wisdom of fools. The author of four books, my essays, poems, and reviews have been published in over 50 journals, including in the Huffington Post and Colorado Review. I’ve won the River Teeth Nonfiction Book Award, the Chautauqua and Literal Latte’s essay prizes, and my work has been nominated for four Pushcart Prizes and named a notable by Best American Essays. My account of hiking in Yosemite to deal with my wife’s death, Mountains of Light, was published by the University of Nebraska Press. http://www.markliebenow.com.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Picking Up the Scraps


Death leaves a scar, and once we have experienced grief, it never completely leaves. Grief sits behind us for the rest of our lives.

I realized this in the early months of my grief as I drove away from Judy’s house. She opened up a dark chapter in her past and shared her husband’s death three years before from cancer to help me. Although she was about to remarry and was happy again, her eyes still held sadness.

* If you would like to read the rest of this post, let me know and I’ll send it to you. *

2 comments:

  1. The Great Goddess Inanna (Sumeria 2500 BCE) asked her friend and adviser Ninshubar to make sure the Great One returned from her initiation into the world of death.

    When we visited New York City to go to museums after Vic's death, a friend said, "I feel like I have to keep track of you because you might slip through the cracks in the sidewalk and disappear." She could tell part of me was in the underworld, one foot in the Great Below with Vic. It was a great comfort to have her know that and let me know she was watching out for me. Beautiful post, Mark. Thank you.

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    Replies
    1. Your comment makes me wonder, Elaine, if we ever get both feet back.

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