Would You Change

Would You Change

...if you saw the face of God and love?

You already know
I'm one of the prickly people.*
You've heard my confession
and I make no excuses.

But also like you,
I'm not one of the truly awful,
angry, hostile, vindictive, sad,
and deeply wounded people.

I am fortunate.
I've been humbled.
And I am grateful
not to be saddled
with such a weight
as that cruel pain
carried by too many
of our brothers and sisters.

Acceptance,
honesty,
sharing,
confronting,
not resisting,
and patiently waiting,
are all powerful tools
of transformation.

Hugs,
inclusion,
forgiveness
and genuine love
also go a long way
in bringing people back
from the depths of trauma.

And still there will always be
a few who must leave this life
then enter into the next,
before there will be any relief
for themselves and others,
upon whom they inflict
even greater suffering.

The best wisdom I can share
is that which was given to me:

Admit your own suffering.
Confront your own pain.
And don't be any worse
than a little bit prickly.

* See Brian's Poem of the Day
March 26, 2020 - Prickly People.

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I imagine one of the reasons people
cling to their hates so stubbornly
is because they sense, once hate is gone,
they will be forced to deal with pain.
~ James Baldwin

If my art has nothing to do
with people's pain and sorrow,
what is 'art' for?
~ Ai Weiwei

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