After a While
by Veronica A. Shoffstall
After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn
that love doesn’t mean leaning
and company doesn’t always mean security.
And you begin to learn
that kisses aren’t contracts
and presents aren’t promises
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of woman, not the grief of a child
and you learn
to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow’s ground is
too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down
in mid-flight.
After a while you learn
that even sunshine burns
if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone
to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
you really are strong
you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn
with every goodbye, you learn.
6 comments:
This is one of my favorite poems. Especially from a time when life was harder.
I passed this on to some friends right away. Sometimes, we ALL need reminders like this. Thanks for posting it!
I really liked your poem and could relate to it absolutely. As we grow wiser (?), we do indeed realize not to wait for someone to bring the flowers, but to plant them ourselves.
I love this. Thank you for posting. I'm going to save it and keep it with me always, as a reminder. Beautiful.
I've never read this before but it has truth to it.
So much is said in this poem. I and many others, I'm sure feel this is written for them.
Thanks you for sharing.
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