Tenaciously Tender

Courage is

the verdant newborn grass sprout

thrusting

through layers of

stony, craggy, chalk-defaced sidewalk cement-

taking a risk,

in order to thrive

in its hostile

“wrong”

unforgiving

environment.

Courage is

the fragile young orchard seedling

pushing, pushing, pushing evermore

through layers of

moist, thick, tightly packed peat soil,

of death and decay,

taking a risk-

in order to

provide shade and bear fruit;

in order to grow

in its hostile

“wrong”

unforgiving

environment.

Courage is

me: a delicate, still maturing, unique individual

climbing, fighting, clawing,

through layers of muck and mire,

of pain and suffering,

of darkness and despair,

those places I seem to feel oddly “at home”-

taking quite the risk-

in order to

give light and share hope;

in order to live

(without fear and blame,

without guilt, without shame);

in order to thrive

and to grow…

in my own somewhat hostile

seemingly “wrong”

somewhat unforgiving

environment.

#poetry #personal #emotional #courage #growth #journey #trauma #survivor