"How are you?"

a simple and routine greeting in our everyday interactions

we often reply with a brief and polite answer such as "I'm fine"

but this seemingly innocent and benign question falls like lead

a crushing weight upon the shoulders of one in a grieving state 

"How are you?"

it came in the aftermath of my profound loss of my dear Mum

those well-meant words that I have heard countless times before

suddenly became a source of discomfort and an impossible task

for me to give my usual standard response in my darkest hours

"How are you?"

I looked up in such a disbelief and my bleeding heart sighed

and I ignored the question totally but screamed loudly inside

“what the fuck you think I am that I just lost my darling Mum?”

since I refused to inaccurately convey the depth of my sorrow

"How are you?"

a simple and well intentioned question can be hurtful and

bring not solace to us grieving souls but a pain that stings

whilst we are navigating a tumultuous sea of emotions and

our grieving hearts know a wound so deep for words to compose