A Six Word Letter
the words we say and all those in between the pauses
Dear Grammy,
I miss you.
̶W̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶d̶i̶e̶d̶
̶s̶o̶m̶e̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶l̶d̶ ̶k̶e̶p̶t̶ ̶t̶u̶r̶n̶i̶n̶g̶.̶
̶I̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶g̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶w̶a̶i̶t̶—
̶S̶c̶r̶e̶a̶m̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶t̶o̶p̶—
̶D̶i̶d̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶l̶i̶z̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶m̶i̶s̶s̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶c̶r̶u̶c̶i̶a̶l̶?̶
̶D̶i̶d̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶l̶i̶z̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶r̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶d̶ ̶l̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ ̶l̶u̶s̶t̶e̶r̶,̶
̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶o̶c̶e̶a̶n̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶d̶ ̶q̶u̶i̶e̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ ̶s̶w̶a̶y̶s̶,̶
̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶g̶r̶a̶v̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶h̶a̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶e̶n̶ ̶u̶p̶e̶n̶d̶e̶d̶?̶ ̶
̶W̶h̶y̶,̶ ̶w̶h̶y̶,̶ ̶w̶h̶y̶,̶ ̶w̶h̶y̶
̶d̶i̶d̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶k̶e̶e̶p̶ ̶t̶u̶r̶n̶i̶n̶g̶?̶
̶W̶h̶y̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶ ̶p̶e̶o̶p̶l̶e̶ ̶k̶e̶e̶p̶ ̶g̶o̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ ̶d̶a̶y̶,̶
̶g̶o̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶k̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶s̶c̶h̶o̶o̶l̶,̶
̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶y̶ ̶w̶e̶r̶e̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶w̶a̶l̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶u̶p̶s̶i̶d̶e̶-̶d̶o̶w̶n̶,̶
̶b̶r̶o̶k̶e̶n̶ ̶p̶i̶e̶c̶e̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶l̶i̶v̶e̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶w̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶f̶l̶o̶a̶t̶i̶n̶g̶
̶a̶r̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶r̶h̶y̶m̶e̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶s̶o̶n̶,̶
̶h̶a̶r̶m̶l̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶m̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶r̶a̶z̶o̶r̶ ̶s̶h̶a̶r̶p̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶m̶e̶?̶ ̶
̶A̶n̶d̶ ̶w̶h̶y̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶ ̶I̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶c̶e̶ ̶m̶y̶s̶e̶l̶f̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶g̶o̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶i̶t̶,̶
̶t̶o̶ ̶h̶o̶p̶s̶c̶o̶t̶c̶h̶ ̶a̶c̶r̶o̶s̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶y̶o̶n̶s̶
̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶l̶i̶f̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶d̶ ̶e̶r̶o̶d̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶,̶
̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶w̶i̶s̶e̶ ̶I̶'̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶l̶e̶f̶t̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶f̶a̶r̶ ̶b̶e̶h̶i̶n̶d̶
̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶I̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶n̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶a̶t̶c̶h̶ ̶b̶a̶c̶k̶ ̶u̶p̶?̶
̶W̶h̶y̶
̶W̶h̶y̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶l̶d̶ ̶k̶e̶e̶p̶ ̶t̶u̶r̶n̶i̶n̶g̶
̶w̶i̶t̶h̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶
̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶w̶h̶y̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶m̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶i̶t̶?̶
I love you.
Love,
Your Girl
About the Creator
R.C. Taylor
I write to invoke, to process, to honor, to resurrect, and—sometimes—to grieve but, above all, I write to be free.
Follow along for stories about a little bit of everything (i.e. nostalgia and other affairs of the heart).
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insight
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions


Comments (2)
🖤
Speaks truth about grief 😢