An All Consuming Grief - By Thando

Written By: Thando

Category: Poetry

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the poignant submission "An All Consuming Grief," Thando invites readers into a deeply personal exploration of loss and endurance. As part of the Poetry category in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, this piece navigates the complex emotions that accompany prolonged grief. Reflecting on three years of emotional tumult, Thando's work resonates with those who have experienced the haunting persistence of trauma and the struggle to find meaning amidst sorrow.

About the Work

Thando's poem is a raw and vivid depiction of the internal landscape shaped by grief. Through powerful imagery and evocative language, the piece captures the relentless nature of mourning. The poem's structure mirrors the chaos of emotion with its fragmented lines and haunting questions, conveying a sense of emptiness and the struggle to reconcile memories with present reality. It's a moving testament to the endurance of pain and the search for understanding in the face of loss.

An all consuming grief

Original Submission by Thando

An all consuming grief

I’ve been grieving everyday for 3 years.

I’ve been drowning every single day for the last 1095 days.

In those 3 years I’ve gotten 2 degrees and started a 3rd, yet I still feel like I’ve accomplished nothing.

Like my life has amounted to nothing other than trauma.

Bookmarks of ptsd.

Page turners of pain.

Linebreaks of breakdowns.

Like I’ve lived only to die with the people that meant the most to me,

over and over again.

Every day waking up to the coldness of their corpse, the fading memory of their warmth

Even their smiles in photos look dead.

Captured memories, moments frozen in time seem altered somehow.

In every photograph I see the sadness and gaping holes left in my heart reflected in their eyes.

All I see is my grief.

All I feel is emptiness - and that doesn’t make any sense now does it.

Have you ever sat in a cold, dark room and heard a reverberating silence ringing in your ears?

Felt the bony hands of death gripping your heart?

Some nights you even leave cookies and milk for the sleep paralysis demon that finds comfort in the corner of your psyche - a stiff drink on your bedside table for when you wake up gasping for air, clawing at your throat, ripping the flesh that protects your airway just to get one breath in - just one.

And when you can finally breathe.

Vocal cords raw from the voiceless screams

Face red from the blood streaming down your cheeks

Alone in the aching deadness of night

You wonder why you even try…

Do you even really miss them as much as you say you do if you’re fighting to live every time an opportunity to end it all is presented to you…

Are you really in pain if the grief doesn’t consume you?

How are you okay with forgetting their laugh?

Their voice?

Their tears?

Their dreams?

How are you okay with living in a world where the people you love the most…

- where the people you love the most…

How can you be okay?

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, hosted by Hashtag Kalakar, is a prestigious platform celebrating literary talent across the globe. It offers writers a space to express their creative prowess and share their unique voices with an international audience. Participants explore diverse themes through various literary forms, contributing to a rich tapestry of poetic and narrative art.

Thank you, Thando, for sharing "An All Consuming Grief" with us in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Your evocative portrayal of loss and resilience offers profound insights into the human experience. We appreciate your contribution and look forward to seeing more of your impactful work.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.