As I sit in Heaven Poem by Hazel Birdsall
"As I sit in heaven” is an insightful poem where the departed soul speaks to the living people and makes them hopeful for a better tomorrow in spite of experiencing the trauma of losing someone near and dear.
About the poet:
The poet has written an astute monologue for everyone. Most sources on the internet site Hazel Birdsall as the poet of this beautiful poem.
Regardless of who authored the poem, the eulogia of the message and guidance to the grieving soul is undoubtedly optimistic. The poet takes us through sorrow and loneliness by making us realise the optimism of the poem.
“Legacy is not leaving something for people. It is leaving something in people.” – Peter Strople
Analysis of the Poem:
‘As I sit in Heaven’ is a poem that expresses the journey of coming to terms with our grief from the narrative of a person
The mark of a good character is not only how many people surround us during celebrations but also how many people will attend our funeral. When we are young, we always have people through thick and thin, however, in our senescent years, life becomes lonely. The poet expresses the same concept, she starts the poem by astutely accepting the reality of life.
Further, she explains how most people tend to forget the dead as time passes by, and it is only (us) the close ones who will miss them every day. We will cherish the fond memories and experiences that we shared with the deceased person. These are the souvenirs that we truly treasure on our journey of life. The poet is content with the idea that a mere few will genuinely miss the person, and the rest will carry on after the mourning.
Grief is not a disorder, a disease, or a sign of weakness. It is an emotional, physical, and spiritual necessity, the price you pay for love. The only cure for grief is to grieve."
Earl Grollman
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lifeism.coThe poet starts elucidating the essence of the poem, in the final two stanzas. One of the feelings that we all live through when someone passes away is the poignance of guilt and sorrow. Therapists and medical professionals at times address the issue as ‘survivors' guilt.’ This is common amongst survivors of not just armed forces, bomb squads and fire departments but also victims of accidents, diseases, and addictions.
All living beings must die. It is the law of nature which disallows immortality. The poet accepts this verity of life. She is confident that the day will come when we all must partake in our journey to the heavenly abode. However, she remarks that while we all are alive, we must not carry the burden of loss, sorrow, and guilt. The dead would have wanted us to live a life full of fervour and love. Here the poet makes an important note- the departed know that it will not be easy to live such a life. They are not simply advising but assuring the living world that with the passage of time, life will give you the chance to get better and happier.
A message to take home:
This poem is a composition that takes us from denial to acceptance. It is a simple piece of literature and not a sermon from the living but the last message we crave from the dead. While addressing the topic of death, the poet does not dwell on thoughts of misery and loss. We learn how to overcome human loss.
How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you. Rupi Kaur beautifully strings together words that will remind you to love yourself.
lifeism.coIn the end, this poem gives us a sense of satisfaction and long-awaited closure. We feel as if our own loved ones would deliver the same message if only, they had the chance. Our grief and sorrow do not belong to the world of the living, we should gradually learn to move on and find unconditional happiness. This poem gently evokes the optimism or silver lining from the dark cloud of anguish and despair.
A small speech on how to deal with grief.