"Hope is the thing with feathers,*" the poet said,
and, when she sits listening to the sweet,
warbled trills of a song sparrow,
Wild Woman believes.
Hope tiptoes into her heart against all reason:
against the toxic rhetoric on the nightly news,
against the daily horrors across the globe,
against the planet heating up while they build
more pipelines, against all the reasons
that try to squash our expectation
that good will always triumph over evil.
Hope with feathers is very fragile;
it must be tended with care.
Hope is the gentle deer, nibbling seed
at the bird feeder because the grass
has turned brown in the heat.
Hope is the black horse's big,
intelligent eye, her nose whuffing
against Wild Woman's fingers,
as she breathes her in and finds her safe.
Hope is a litter of puppies who,
if fate is kind, will grow up safe
and loved and never suffer.
(May it be so!)
Hope is greenery and flowers,
that pop up even in scorched earth,
after wildfire, after bombs -
Mother Earth messaging us: See?
See how easy it is to simply bloom?
*from "Hope is the Hardest Love We Carry" by Jane Hirshfield
for my prompt at What's Going On - Hope. The prompt is inspired by a line in a poem by Jane Hirshfield - "Hope is the hardest love we carry." It is, for sure. And of course the Dickinson line is well recognized.
So many beautiful lines. These are my favorite:
ReplyDelete"Hope is a litter of puppies who,
if fate is kind, will grow up safe
and loved and never suffer.
(May it be so!)"
I like all of the examples you gaveof hopefulness! May EACH of them 'be so'?
Against the dark reality, truth in the forms of life shine in the poem. I agree with Mary about the beautiful examples chosen. But the line "Hope tiptoes into her heart against all reason:" is a heart lifter Sherry revealing immense love for the planet the Heart of the speaker contains.
ReplyDelete"Hope tiptoes into her heart against all reason"
ReplyDeleteI love how you bring hope alive, from this tiptoeing to your many living examples! Mother earth IS messaging us, and sometimes--like while reading your poem--I believe. Thank You.
They say great minds think alike, Sherry, and that quote, "Hope is the thing with feathers", was the first thing that came to my mind when I read your prompt! I love this poem. I too believe when I listen to birds, watch deer in my garden, and see the greenery and flowers. It’s important to listen to Mother Earth.
ReplyDeleteLove your poem of hope. Yes, nature offers us so many reason to cling to hope. Love this part as it speaks to the heart hope does need special care.
ReplyDeleteHope with feathers is very fragile;
it must be tended with care.
What a beautiful poem. Your optimism is astounding. Keep singing your Bluebird of Happiness and Hope song Sherry Blue Sky
ReplyDeleteWe need it during these troubled times Thankyou
"Hope tiptoes into her heart against all reason"
ReplyDeleteThat is the only way we can hope right now. Gorgeous poem, Sherry!