The prompt for Poets and storytellers United invites us to write something about, or including, the number 10. And/or write a 10-line poem.
We learn early to hide our pain and to tuck it somewhere deep and hope time will do the healing for us. But the body remembers. It waits patiently for us to turn toward it, not with judgment, but with gentleness. The Softening speaks to that moment of courage: when we finally touch what hurts, and in doing so, discover that pain isn’t a punishment to be endured, but a part of us longing to be seen.
The Softening
We
escape pain, tuck it in a corner
of our body, where it
screams for attention.
We ignore it, hush it with addiction
One day, with a trembling hand we reach
towards it and it softens, it feels seen
When you walk your path and step into pain
When
surging waves of sorrow move through you
lean into the moment without judging
Hold yourself as a
mother holds her child
Not to fix but to soothe till the heaviness sinks
What an insightful poem of personal growth and overcoming. I love that it concludes with softness and healing - Jae
ReplyDeleteWithout judging. That is a fine skill to cultivate, not easy though.
ReplyDeleteHow very wise! And beautifully said.
ReplyDeleteIn this day and age of coddling and helicopter parents I'm a firm believer in learning how to deal with pain, physical, mental, real or imagined. Great write 👏
ReplyDeleteTo move forward in life without judging is a supremely difficult task.
ReplyDeleteEspecially love those last two lines. We tuck away and then forget where or why.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing rehab right now, captive for another week I'm afraid. And another symptom not understood. This time they didn't give up and call it "aging" like they did for my amenia and Kidney failure stage 3a. I can't complain, doctors and modern medicine have kept me alive for 92 years now.
ReplyDelete