This is a space for your words. We invite you to submit poems, essays, reflections, or other written pieces that speak to loss, healing, faith, hope, and resilience. All submissions are thoughtfully reviewed before publication and may be lightly edited for clarity, length, or consistency with HEAL’s tone—while always honoring the heart of your words. If your piece is selected, it will become part of our growing collection, offering comfort and connection to others who may need it. Thank you for trusting us with your voice. By submitting, you confirm that your work is original and grant HEAL permission to publish and lightly edit the content.
This is not meant to be polished or professional. Just simple, honest words.
Im deep in a cave
Hidden from view
I refuse to come out
And start life anew
I feel sheltered and protected
I want to be alone
No human company
But surrounded by stone
In this darkness
When everything is so still
I yearn to come back out
My heart’s hope to be refilled
I beg and cry
God. I want to rejoice
Help me out
I know it’s my choice!
————
Stepping out of this cave
I feel limp and weak
I know I’m doing what’s right
Yet security I seek
Unsteady steps
One by one
Unfamiliar streets
My certainty is gone
Walking on this broken path
Is all I currently do
I seek a ray of light
To help me pull through
I spot one from afar
I focus on the light
The more I do
The more it’s bright
It’s illuminating my path
Paving my way
Stitching back broken pieces
Turning night into day
This tiny ray of light
Is known by a special name
‘Noticing Blessings’
Earning himself fame
When it’s gray and dark
Seek a tiny blessing you’ve got
Focus on it and you’ll see
You’ve got more in your lot!!
Tiny flecks linger everywhere
Grief settling into cracks
And hidden corners.
Beneath my smile,
It stays,
Woven through me.
Quiet.
Persistent.
Clinging to everything
Like glitter
That never comes off.
Goodness is everywhere, even where it seems there’s a lack; it’s just a matter of learning to notice it. It’s often easy to say thank you for obvious blessings like health, but when even one small thing changes, we suddenly realize how much we had to be grateful for. Instead of waiting for loss to teach us appreciation, we can choose to say thank you now and begin to see the good even in hardship. At first, that mindset shift can be difficult, but it’s worth the effort. We can still be grateful for life, marriage, and hope for the future, even in painful or uncertain moments, and hold on to gratitude for the simple gift of your own beating heart.
Choose to say Mizmor L’Todah and find reasons to dance anyway!
In the darkness of the night
Everyone’s sleeping tight
I cry
Heart wrenching sobs
Head bobs
I cry
My chest heaving in and out
No longer stout
A cry
Heartbreaking to its core
This downpour
I cry
My nose stuffy
Eyes puffy
I cry
I silence the sound
As my tears mound
I cry
I regulate my breathing
Inside I’m breaking
I cry
Mute my tears
Gasp for air
And yet I still cry……
I would like to host
People of all kinds
Give them meals
Nourish them to nines
Care for them
Wash their clothes
Be a listening ear
To all their woes
My recent guest
Left me confused
Lonely and lost
Mixed feelings fused
For 13. weeks
He’s been with me
I cared for him
With devotion and security
I dreamt of our future
Of how it’ll be
Never thought
I’d lose the opportunity
After he left
I felt I lost it all
I’m trying to survive
This turmoil
This very special guest
Was cared for with love
My aching heart
Is turning to the one above
Please Hashem
Help me overcome my pain
Help me see the Sun
Despite the rain
My darling guest
had no name
But that doesn’t stop him
From earning his fame
My unborn baby
So shockingly lost
I’ll never forget you
U mattered most!
If you don’t look,
you can’t see
how happiness can set you free.
If you don’t question,
you can’t find,
and you may remain blind.
If you don’t think,
you can’t understand
the messages placed in your hand.
If you don’t ask,
you won’t see
how to wipe away your tears easily.
If you don’t search,
you won’t find
the inner strength you hold inside.
You cannot accomplish tomorrow
What your procrastinating today
You cannot be a changed person tomorrow
If your not working on yourself today
You cannot start smiling tomorrow
If you’re not prepping yourself today
You cannot reach out for help tomorrow
If you’re not pondering about it today
Today is not just another day
For It’s THE day!
H.E.A.L. — Hope and Encouragement After Loss is more than a magazine. It is a companion for the journey of grief, healing, and quiet resilience. Carefully curated, HEAL Magazine is designed to accompany you during especially challenging moments of the year—family gatherings, Yamim Tovim, anniversaries, and seasonal changes—when loss can feel heavier and more present.