If We Knew Then.........

Parksville, Vancouver Island

Did we understand,

when we agreed to inhabit these bodies

and grow our souls,

when we consented

to coming to earth at this time,

that we were coming to behold

and give testimony,

to give voice to the voiceless,

to stand against injustice in solidarity,

to bear witness and to mourn?

Did we know it would break our hearts

a hundred times a week,

that we would grieve so many losses,

start over so many times?

Did we know we would be strong enough?

We accepted the  earthly body,

whatever the cost.

Because we either remembered,

or were given a glimpse of

the sheer, breathtaking beauty of this world,

how it shines.

We would do it all again

for the sheer joy

of watching tendrils of clouds 

kiss a mountaintop,

the everlasting beauty 

of the silver shining sea,

for the exhilaration of falling in love,

the joy of bringing forth our children,

for the privilege of old age, 

and peacefulness,

for the love of blue sky and birdsong,

and sunsets,

and a brand new day starting over 

every morning.

And if we get the chance,

to do it all again,

we'll say "yes!"

so we can love it all,

in all its pain and glory,

just one more time.

This poem is my response to Rebecca Del Rio's poem, "The Pact", featured in Larry Robinson's Poem of the Day. She wrote that "it was broken before we arrived, the pact with life". That our work, immersed in mourning, is to turn loss into love. That resonated with me........ It made me think about all the horrible things we hear about daily, that have been getting me down, and yet how beautiful, still, this planet is, what a gift these lives of ours are.