When Words Become Medicine: Healing Through Poetry and Grief

The Weight of Grief at Sixteen

Grief has a way of changing how we see the world. For Cyra Sweet Dumitru, that shift came at sixteen when she lost her brother to suicide. The loss was sudden and traumatic, and she carried not only sorrow but also a heavy sense of responsibility.

In the middle of her shock, Cyra remembers looking in the mirror and hearing a voice call her name. The voice told her the moment would be difficult, but someday it would all circle back. That experience shaped how she walked forward, even when she could not yet make sense of it.

Finding Healing in Poetry

For years, Cyra carried unprocessed pain. The weight of what she had witnessed lingered in her body, mind, and spirit. But when she began writing poetry, something shifted. The act of putting words on the page gave her both distance and clarity.

One of her earliest healing poems described a conversation with her own head. In it, her head told her she was too hard on herself and urged her to listen to her instincts. The poem ended with a reminder to write, and Cyra took that advice seriously. That moment became a turning point, not just in her creative life but in her healing.

Poetry as a Lifeline

Cyra’s story highlights something powerful: creative practices can serve as a form of medicine. Poetry gave her language when ordinary conversation fell short. It became a safe container for the chaos she carried inside.

She explains that poetry is not about performance or literary standards. It is about presence and honesty. She defines a poem as the true voice of the heart, mind, and spirit. In her own healing journey, poetry became the space where grief could exist without judgment and where forgiveness could begin.

The Ongoing Work of Healing

Healing from trauma is not quick or linear. Cyra acknowledges that her journey has taken decades, moving one layer at a time. Along the way, she also became curious about why poetry had such a healing effect. That curiosity led her to study, practice, and eventually guide others through what is now called poetic medicine.

Today, she is one of only four certified practitioners of poetic medicine in the state of Texas. She leads writing circles where people from all walks of life can explore their own emotions through words. No prior experience with poetry is needed. The goal is connection, expression, and support.

Carrying Her Brother’s Memory

Even as Cyra built a life of writing, teaching, and supporting others, her brother’s presence never left. She has written about him often, and even dreams have carried him back to her in healing ways. In one recent poem, she describes feeling his presence so vividly that she woke with gratitude for their bond still alive within her.

Her story reminds us that grief never fully goes away. But creativity, whether through poetry, painting, or other forms, can transform grief into something meaningful. It can turn unbearable pain into connection and help us move forward without leaving our loved ones behind.

Why Her Story Matters

Cyra’s experience offers an important lesson: healing is not about erasing the past. It is about finding ways to live with it, one layer at a time. For her, poetry became the bridge between despair and hope. For others, it might be music, gardening, or conversation.

What matters is creating space for honesty, expression, and forgiveness. And as Cyra shows, those practices can change not just one life but also ripple outward to others.