after the trembling, dare to hope.

violence. bloodshed.
here we are once again.
tragedy. heartbreak.
incomprehensible to comprehend.

i tremble.

so much pain. catalonia, france, the united states.
the vegas shooting far from me, yet at least six
had come from places that i’ve called home.
two of the six are now two of the 58, gone forever.

i cry.

news accounts of people shielding others from harm,
while seconds before they were strangers.
news accounts of people standing in long lines,
donating their own blood to those whose blood has spilled.

i believe.

social media comments back and forth,
from people i thought i knew.
spewing vitriol towards each other.
how do we stop this roller-coaster insanity?

i frown.

everyone has an answer.
every answer invites a rebuttal.
every rebuttal invokes yet another response.
is it truly safety vs. freedom?

i wonder.

will we soon be living in an antiseptically fearful world
where no one ever ventures through the door?
if we choose to speak out, to go out,
how then will we protect ourselves, our loved ones?

i consider.

how will we know, from one moment to the next,
what horrifically planned-but-unnatural fate may await us?
how do we keep seeking, keep exploring,
how do we keep going outside?

i dare.

*******

scared and scarred, we’ve all been carrying
a morsel of this fear around in our emotional suitcases.
but there is something else we must remember to pack.

through the confusion, the heartache, the anger.
despite the arguments, the politics, the divisions.
we must remember to always pack hope.

because there is still hope.
there is always hope.

*******

in a child’s innocent pose,
while playing games with his nonna.
hope.

*******

in a dear friend’s world-wide-viral story,
about a sweet lynx family.
hope.

*******

in a crazy-smart dog’s antics at the sea,
linking human to human despite their differences.
hope.

*******

in another sunrise to wake up to,
the cats cozy and secure by my legs.
hope.

*******

in good people,
everywhere.
hope.

*******

there is still hope.
there is always hope.

hope is waiting for you.
pack it carefully.
don’t smash it.
 
 
*******
 
 
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