hope beyond this sadness?
is that just a delusion?
there is no hurrying its weight,
either by the urgency of fear or fury
we must sit with it, explore it,
and with tender tenacity
receive all the ways it
pins us down and oppresses us
we must learn which escape hatches
we have closed and which were closed
for us, whether we wanted them to be
or not
we must listen to our bodies…we don’t
need much right now,
this sadness will keep us still
letting us heal
do not rush your neighbor
their pace is unique
simply hold their hand,
or hold them
maybe that is what we do right now:
with a fierce patience
hold space for each other as we find
our way forward
remembering that we are
community,
we are both door and frame
look, too, outside
remember that our landscape
stands by us
the tall trees are experiencing
their own loss, leaf by leaf,
again and again, yet they
do not give up
they know that next year’s
blossoms live inside, so they
protect them and prepare
be still now.
glory in the beauty of the sunlit forest,
the beauty of the children
who wordlessly understand that
each day is a gift
we may not like the way this day
came wrapped, but it is
a gift … take it
—
Suzanne Beaumont tells stories through poetry and prose. She writes to know herself and to explore the world around her. Suzanne holds the profound belief that everyone has a unique story to tell. She feels that even if we cannot know how our particular contribution fits, it is important to keep going, keep offering, keep listening, because we cannot know if our one note completes the chorus chord that unlocks heaven.
