07 September 2011

comes the dawn.

in contrast to my previous post... this is a little more serious. i've been thinking about this poem a lot and wanted to share it.  

with ruby passing away almost a month ago, those feelings are still fresh inside of me.  i think about her often; her little face popping up in my mind a lot.  i think about her mom... my dear friend who is struggling to live her new life without her baby, and all i can do is pray for her, love her unconditionally, and do my best to be there for her whenever she needs me. i don't know all the answers, but i know about love. and i know about hope. and i know about grief. and i know about faith.
and it's a lot sometimes to deal with all that and to make sense of it all..

this poem has helped me so many times throughout my own life when i went through hard things, especially after losing my twins.  it's just kind of profound like that.. it's my favorite poem of all time.  i really think it's beautiful.


 Comes the Dawn
by Joy Whitman

After a while you learn the subtle difference

between holding a hand and sharing a life.

And you learn that love doesn’t mean possession,

and company doesn’t mean security,
and loneliness is universal.

And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts

and presents aren’t promises,

and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes
open, with the grace of an woman, not the grief of a child,

And you learn to build your hopes on today

as the future has a way of falling apart in mid-flight
because tomorrow’s ground can be too uncertain for plans.


yet each step taken in a new direction creates a path
toward the promise of a brighter dawn.

And you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much.

 
so you plant your own garden and nourish your own soul
instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that love, true love,

always has joys and sorrows
seems ever present,
yet is never quite the same
becoming more than love and less than love
so difficult to define.

And you learn that through it all

you really can endure
that you really are strong
that you do have value
 

and you learn and grow 
with every goodbye 
you learn.


2 comments:

J said...

i just randomly stumbled across your blog ages ago and have been reading it ever since. thanks for your honest reflections on life and for sharing your adorable family with all of us. i love this poem :)

Rachel said...

That's a beautiful poem. :)