What I Can Do
So I can’t save the world—
can’t save even myself,
can’t wrap my arms around
every frightened child, can’t
foster peace among nations,
can’t bring love to all who
feel unlovable.
So I practice opening my heart
right here in this room and being gentle
with my insufficiency. I practice
walking down the street heart first.
And if it is insufficient to share love,
I will practice loving anyway.
I want to converse about truth,
about trust. I want to invite compassion
into every interaction.
One willing heart can’t stop a war.
One willing heart can’t feed all the hungry.
And sometimes, daunted by a task too big,
I tell myself what’s the use of trying?
But today, the invitation is clear:
to be ridiculously courageous in love.
To open the heart like a lilac in May,
knowing freeze is possible
and opening anyway.
To take love seriously.
To give love wildly.
To race up to the world
as if I were a puppy,
adoring and unjaded,
stumbling on my own exuberance.
To feel the shock of indifference,
of anger, of cruelty, of fear,
and stay open. To love as if it matters,
as if the world depends on it.
by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
(paintings in this post by Polly Castor)
Such an Encouraging Poem, and true, and helpful, and realistic, and fun!
Thank you!
The country needs to hear this today. Thank you.
A very meaningful touching poem. Beautiful words that I will read and reread and pass on the others. Thank you.
Yes, yes, yes. Your words call to a part in me that has been crying out for oh so long, to be honoured, listened to.
. . .So I practice opening my heart
right here in this room and being gentle
with my insufficiency.
Thank you for the invitation to be courageous in the face of despondency and falling for “what’s the use of trying”. To risk stumbling on my own exuberance and to know I will need to feel (rather than avoid)
The shock
of indifference,
of anger,
of fear,
and stay open
???
What you say and try to live is awesome.
Thank you for your modeling.
???