On Hardship

Hardship shapes our Being,
It marks our DNA,
It orients our choices,
And forms our everyday.

Some call hardship to them,
Some push it away,
Some clutch it like a mantle,
In the middle of the fray.

Hardship is a doorway,
Whether chosen or befell,
It opens us to heaven,
It opens us to hell.

We may feel it closely,
Or barely, not at all,
Still, it’s there to lead us,
To new vistas large and small.

Perhaps it’s time to give more,
Perhaps time to receive,
Perhaps it’s time to laugh more,
Perhaps it’s time to grieve.

Hardship is a summons,
To attend and offer care,
Together we can lift the veils,
A process we can share.

One day I met with Hardship,
It had a lot to say,
It told me “Listen deeply”,
And “Illuminate the way”.

Hardship says to soften,
And let go of our schemes,
To orient our Presence,
Toward shaping peaceful Dreams.

So care for you, for us, for All,
Care with all your might,
Bring your peace to where you’re called,
Activate your Light.