Am I Grieving?

I've been wondering lately--

What is grief? 

Is it tears of mourning? 

Pain assigned to you? 

How do you know when you are grieved? 

I keep feeling grief, I know that, 

But the essence of it is much harder to feel

Or grasp

Or understand, even in beginnings 

So the questions shifts, for me. 

Who is Grief? 

It almost seems to hold me in its arms,

Like a friend, 

Comforting my sadness 

But at the same time, 

Grief's friendship puts a dagger inside you 

In your heart 

(Sometimes your stomach)

And twists itself out

At the same time Grief's arms let go. 

Perhaps it's a teacher. 

The lesson? 

Sadness and pain relieve sadness and pain.

That's what Grief has taught me. 

It seems like, to me, Its only knowledge.