I feel it all
sometimes all at once
the unbridled gladness
and happy messes
the uncontainable sorrow
and burdens of loss
the magnificence of life
abounding and the confounding
weight of so much pain
and anguish and sorrow
the strife in a loved one’s
tears and the persistence
of a dear one’s fears
even the suffering of strangers
can find its way into my heart
erasing the lines of separation
that would tear us apart
all the while joy too
can jolt me into an up-swirl
of pleasure and memories
to treasure and tuck away
for a rainy day
this ebb and flow of hope
and despair and the burden
of caring too much
or not doing enough
all of it part and parcel
of my everyday emotional
terrain too difficult to contain
or explain or navigate with grace
this demanding and relentless pace
of so many ups and downs
simultaneously and in such close
proximity that I wonder
can I…how can I
invite delight to arise
and abide with sorrow
perhaps we are blessed
by all that is paradoxical
insisting that we stay
present to the ALL of it
the inevitable surges
and purges urging us
to stay awake and
allow the full complexity of these
notes of grief and gratitude
to become the song that is ours
to offer to the world
from the heart, mind, and pen of Minx
©2023Minx Boren. All rights reserved. PLEASE SHARE with attribution.