Thursday, October 7, 2010

Children

My solitude stood still
In the incandescent lighting of a child's face
Brilliantly placed in the middle of my world
Where I stopped... running

They stood looking at me
Through me
And straight into my saint and unworthy
Seeing only
Me

Laid barren my guilty conscience
And ask with all the courage of those
Too young to know how to be afraid

"Why do you fear?"

Life always was
And always will be beautiful

Through tile floors and skid free socks
From holes in our chests
And wheezing from our lungs
Punctured veins
From used up vessels
We are blessed

Life is short
And life is long

We are everything and nothing
Just soon enough to figure out
Than we want something that we don't have

Just breathe

It will be alright
In the face of a child
Who knows not of short lives
Because everyday is one more lifetime
And every laugh feels like the first time

And from those faces
I found meaning in my life

Stop thinking and start living
This is life
And we are blessed to be at each other's sides
Holding children
And the hands crippled with arthritis
Begging us to try and not think about
Getting old
And dying

Death is a new journey

And these children
Dared me to live unafraid
Dancing on the edge of eternity

2 comments:

Margaret said...

"Stop thinking and start living
This is life
And we are blessed to be at each other's sides"

It's so easy to forget that even when times are going rough, or when we are waiting for time to pass 'till we see more exciting days, we are blessed to have the people we do surrounding us. I know this isn't the main point of your poem, but it really stuck out to me. Everyone in our life teaches us something (the good ones teach us many things) and our time with others is precious. Thank you for reminding me of this, how easy we forget. :)

Anonymous said...

Catie, That makes me cry! God has gifted you as a writer allowing you to glimpse into the heart of others.I love you!! mom