Linking with Imaginary Gardens for The Tuesday Platform brought to us by Pat
Change always comes bearing gifts. ~Price Pritchett
I crossed a wild river of all that was
and I lost all that I left behind
winds of change can be unmerciful
and even more so unkind
cobble stone and mortar
foundation and rail
oh the stories they hold
if they had a voice to tell the tale
So much devastation so much change
lives lost, piles of rubble
and life's plans rearranged
but through it all
we have grown strong and wise
rebuilt buildings, recovered homes
and repaired lives
Humanity is resilient
and courageous in storm and loss.
man gives all when all can seem lost
So looking back now
under a sunny and cloudless sky
I can see the miracles
that in crisis did arise
for once I crossed a wild river of all that was
and I lost all I had before
but in the process
I also gained so much more.
There is so much truth in this... the best (and the worst) of humanity comes up to the surface in the face of disaster... maybe we are not truly humans in comfort.
ReplyDeleteThis is very powerful. I am witnessing this first hand as the community I teach in suffered a tornado in its downtown and poor district over the summer. There's still much debris and suffering lingering.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, there is something to be gained in losing what has passed its utility and duration in our lives — as you bring to attention that the winds of change can be unkind and unmerciful, I feel a sense of comfort that it is the same for everyone. Its havoc may after all bring about something new and miraculous. Thank you for this reality-check.
ReplyDeleteI love the flow and how the last stanza in particular acts as a perfect conclusion to this journey.
-HA
Such a poetic story of loss. Adversity also offers opportunity. Tough things do deepen us.
ReplyDeleteI am particularly drawn in by the sentiments and strength of the opening stanza - and I'll note here, I like how it's echoed again in the closing one, reinforcing the positive notes, for yes, life often is challenging, or even more than just challenging, whether on a personal level, or broader still. And yes, there are many who revel in suffering and pain, inflict it to degrees horrifying, and yet, hope and faith, and people can and do rally. And this does make all the difference - and sometimes, we do need to sit in darkness in order to really understand what light is - and how, no matter how little or much we have, it can all be interpreted as a gift.
ReplyDeletethe last verse is tribute to our survival instincts, always carrying the seed of hope.
ReplyDelete