To Bury a Friend

A Piece on Mortality

Before I just spring a poem about death upon you, my loyal tribe, I thought I’d give some context. As many of you know, my dog Darwin meant the world to me. I faced my greatest fear yesterday and made the hardest decision ever to let him go to the other side. He was suffering from what the vet could only guess was underlying Gastrointestinal Tract complications since Tuesday, and it was unimaginably painful to watch him in his state.
We share ten years’ worth of incredibly brilliant moments. He was there for all of my greatest successes, and toured parts of the world most humans will never see in their lifetime. We were best pals. And yesterday, I was tasked with burying my best friend.

I am planning to be offline (aside from my Substack) for as long as I need. One thing I despise is the “hurry-up and commercialize” tendency by modern society of the most delicate parts of life, such as life, death and transitions between the two. I’m navigating a grief process I never imagined possible. With that, I will gain clearer insight into my next steps and the order in which I will rebuild.

I watched a really good little bit from one of my favourite thought leaders, Matthew McConaughey. I’ll link it here: “Campfires and Bonfires”. I’m using this time to put out some campfires and work on the bonfire that brings the heat to me in the name of service to others. Nothing less. When you lose someone close to you who’s as special as Dar, you start to rethink what it means to be alive. Healing is a team sport.

Thank you for being here with (and for) me. 💜
Here’s the poem:

To Bury a Friend

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I buried my best friend today

I dug the grave myself

For the first time, I was left alone, and lonely, blown to hell

Though it was just the afternoon, I was strangely dark and grim

Never mind the weather, it was darker deep within

And with his body, the memories piled up just like the dirt

That hole I dug, ten years strong, full of all my hurt

My companion left me to see how easy it could be

If I took life like him and lived so playfully and free

To love another soul, to be ripped from the earth

It’s brutish and inevitable, mortality is what it’s worth.

Thanks for being here. 💜