I notice

the absences more than presence

though time flickers through my hands

like run paint unable to dry

I am not the one you turn to

if seeking life’s mantra

the weave of my masters

left me an untidy knotted thing

some days it is enough

that I survive

but should you need holding upright

your solace smoothed, the folds

of your fear put back carefully

should you look for someone to assuage

grief or explain why there is still

hope

then oddly, though it seems to make no sense

to have mending come from broken things

you’d call on me

just as I turned to my father

and from the eternal sadness shining in his eyes

felt the cleaving of his gentle mercy

15 Replies to “Gentle Mercy”

  1. I’m thinking of a quote from Sheldon Kopp: “I’m not OK and you’re not OK, and that’s OK.” We must allow our broken places respond to the broken places of others. There, kindness dwells and healing begins.

  2. I meant it as very uplifting and positive, whoops!! Tee hee. But thank you dearly for reading ❣️

  3. I agree and love that. I think broken people are often the kindest and those who are broken despite that or inspire of that, often help lift others up. I was thinking of something on fb where it said “what kind of friend are you?” And I thought, well I’m not the one you’d have as your bridesmaid etc but you might call me if you were going through a hard time and that’s where the idea began of how even if we individually may struggle it doesn’t ok invalidate what we give back. So the whole idea of only shiny people being able to help others isn’t accurate.

  4. Often, maybe almost always, it is the shiny people (like the ones in that REM song) who are hardest to take or get to understand when we are in hard times and pain. It is hard for them to just be there with the brokenness and dim the dazzling shine to simple light.

  5. I think it’s kind of cool of you to interpret it differently. I do that sometimes too.

  6. LOL – REM did some amazing things. I remember the first time I was the video of Losing My Religion – wonderfully subversive.

  7. I’m having a emotional difficult time in life right now.
    But I still think you’re poetry’s muse and wish you the best.
    Candy girl.

  8. Dearest friend, write me and LMK what is going on? I am here. Seriously. Please.

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