You can do your utmost to persuade me

of all the world’s ills, but this, my friend,

you need not do. For I have seen

with my own two eyes–depravity,

malice and greed. I have heard

with my own two ears–the cries of beatings

and the keening wails of grief, of bondage,

of hope defiled. I have held the hands

that death will visit soon and seen children

as shadows begging for bread granted

apathy in return. I have attentively

observed over time what human beings

are capable of and I lament

~~~~

—I am still

But then—

~~~~

The song awakens in my chest,

softly first, but louder grows

and no matter what I’ve seen and heard

or felt with my own frame,

music bursts forth from my soul once again

–alive–and from my lips an Ancient song

And with the hope of a thousand generations

past and of children yet to come, I cry,

~~~~

“There is light, there is light there is light!”

~~~~

And this, no darkness can steal

Call me a dreamer or call me a fool

—-this will always be my song

~~~~

—–Light overcomes darkness at the break of every dawn, constant. No amount of darkness can extinguish even one spark of a flame. This is hope. This is holy work, and gifted by Divine.

©Heather Pound 2022