‘In the dark times
will there also be singing?
Yes, there will also be singing.
About the dark times.’
~ Bertolt Brecht
In the dark times, we light candles,
place them in the window to guide
lonely wayfarers home. We hum,
as we stir the thick soup, wash
all the pots, set the table for
whoever will come.
In the dark times,
we come together, break bread,
share empathy and humanity
and hope.
In the dark times,
we gather together
and sing.
In the dark times,
we dream.
We dream of spring.
***
I emerged out of darkness,
as we do, as we all do,
and strove towards
sunny days and blue sky.
Friends helped me, and dogs
helped me more, till my heart
healed itself like a craggy old bunion,
that I polished until it shone
like a pearl;
then I taught it to sing.
then I taught it to sing.
Ah, Sherry....it seems you and I thought about the prompt in a similar way. I like the idea of coming together, breaking bread, and sharing hope!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mary... there's hope when we wait for light together rather than alone...how else to get through the darkness....
ReplyDeletea good reminder, Sherry~
ReplyDeleteO! I love the Brecht quote and "my heart / healed itself like a craggy old bunion, / that I polished until it shone / like a pearl . . . "
ReplyDeleteGosh, Sherry, what a healing poem. I wish I had written it.
"In the dark times,
ReplyDeletewe come together, break bread,
share empathy and humanity
and hope." These are truly the ways to brave darkness. I also love to 'dream of spring' in dark times. So lovely, Sherry.
What a beautifully affirming poem - and a journey both for ourselves and with the help of others - Jae
ReplyDeleteIt's dark times alright.Seems to be getting worse if that is possible. Mine is a bit gloomy this week. You can dream of spring for me:)
ReplyDeleteI purposefully avoided the darkest times I have witnessed in my life as I write so much about it. I was glad you wrote on the topic. I cant even believe what is going on.
DeleteI like the Brecht quotation, Sherry, which is very apt for the prompt, but I love your poem, which offers hope, light and comfort. I especially like ‘till my heart / healed itself like a craggy old bunion, / that I polished until it shone / like a pearl.’
ReplyDeleteThis reads like a fairy tale, Sherry. In a way, your life has been exactly that.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful, Sherry. I love the practical comforts of soup, bread and candlelight aiding the healing. I enjoyed the hope filling up that final stanza and the close made me smile, too.
ReplyDeleteI feel pain and comforting in this poem. It gets harder to teach the heart to sing, but somehow you always find a way.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think it dark times we can still gather and sing and perhaps, to drum. Perhaps, we need to focus more on the light in our lives for life is so short.
ReplyDelete