Poets logo

I Feel Them All

People have asked why I openly grieve the loss of celebrities. This is why.

By Jonathan ApolloPublished 2 years ago 1 min read
I Feel Them All
Photo by Joshua Sukoff on Unsplash

Woke up to the news of another entertainer gone

Another piece of the history, my history; now officially a part of history

Today also marks the anniversary of the loss of a legend

Michael. Sweet Michael.

15 years, but it still feels like yesterday

I’ve never forgotten the sadness of that moment

And I’ll never forget the pain of this moment

I feel them all, just as I always have

Michael. Seth, a.k.a. Shifty. Whitney. Selena. Aaron. Lucille. Thomas Mikal. Prince. Betty Wright. Betty White.

Figments of yesterday and our day, all parts of this life – our lives.

The music. The laughter. The legends. The idols.

The ones gone too soon. The ones who had more to give.

We grew up with these people, through memory or the memory of others

They gave us inspiration

Gave us smiles

Gave us reasons to hold tight to the treasures of life

Music. Laughter. Dance. Connection. Love.

We forget how important these things are

How artists and art help to keep them close

Keep us close. Keep us connected.

We are all connected. We forget that sometimes, too.

And because of this, I mourn. I allow myself to grieve.

Those I didn’t know, but knew better than most.

Life goes on. History updates… but we’re still here.

Don’t ignore the sadness. Don’t mock the mournful.

Feel them. Feel them all.

We’re all we’ve got.

celebritiesFree Versesocial commentary

About the Creator

Jonathan Apollo

Commentator and storyteller. 40-something. NYC. I'm wordy. Thanks for reading. #TPWK

Linktree (including my CashApp - support a broke artist!): https://linktr.ee/japollo1006

Twitter/X & Facebook: @JonnyAWrites

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments (6)

Sign in to comment
  • J. Delaney-Howe10 months ago

    I remember this one. Brings up feelings of a sad kind of nostalgia.

  • J. Delaney-Howe2 years ago

    Great piece. Whitney was a tough one for me, Prince too.

  • Lily Séjor2 years ago

    "History updates" is just so clever and so true.

  • Still remember the week we lost Alan Rickman and David Bowie - I was inconsolable at work those days ... and Robin Williams will always hurt. "For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee." We should feel and grieve all that go. As you so brilliantly put, "We're all we've got."

  • Andrea Corwin 2 years ago

    TOTALLY agree! We grew up with them and then...they are gone...and we are sad. And a few years later, I say either, "h/she is dead now," or, "didn't s/he die?" So many passed and sometimes I think to myself 'they decided to check out of this crazy place.'

  • That last line is so potent. We hold each other in our joy and grief.

Find us on social media

Miscellaneous links

  • Explore
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Support

© 2026 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.