Alley | Tempest Brew
Are you cold?
Come I will
warm you
wrap you in
my blanket
we will lie
a while together
exchanging heat
words and vows.
Are you cold?
Come I will
warm you
wrap you in
my blanket
we will lie
a while together
exchanging heat
words and vows.
Our bare arms are long
strong as our hearts
not as easily broken…
as they open embracing
comforting, grasping,
protecting
bearing witness to our loves
second to none
our losses
each wound stitches
healing ever fierce
our common core
our never gone humanity
our ever sacred power
to link hearts
in unity
banishing hatred and fear
as truly as
a new day
of justice and peace
When grim old Mr. Sorrow
unsuspectingly comes to town,
his suitcase filled with pain and grief,
wearing his mournful, heavy frown,
rapping with his leaden stick
on the front door to come in,
then spilling all through house
his pain, sorrow and suffering,
there is no holding him back.
It is futile to bid him leave.
He must come in and the heart
must sorrow, lament or grieve.
Notice though how in thoughtless haste
he leaves the front door open wide
and Hope, Compassion and Empathy
silently and unnoticed come inside,
and sit in patience waiting
for old Sorrow to tire or depart,
so that they can begin to strengthen
the heavily laden, grieving heart,
and when Sorrow will not leave
they still remain quietly in the room,
growing the tender heart in the midst
of suffering’s pain and gloom
and though hearts can surely break
or darkly distort in bitterness,
from pain and loss the heart can develop
its sweet, empathic tenderness
and the heart that is too protected,
wrapped in too cloistered a cocoon,
is a heart denied the opportunity
for beautiful things to blossom and bloom.
Do not be
the cactus
with spiny
tongue
do not bring
pain to a world
of loneliness
and hurt,
instead smooth
aloe over
wounds of neighbors
send salve
to the strangers
you meet.