Safety comes in many forms.
Most are safe from the weather and storms,
from rain and cold, but some are not.
What would it be like to be in their shoes?
Could we think pretty thoughts,
Of love and affection, and colors for our rooms?
There’s another kind of safety which concerns me more.
It comes from within, from our minds and our thoughts.
I feel safe in my brain most of the time.
But then sometimes I realize I’m blind,
that I really feel covered only when I build a hat
to block my conscience from saying
I’m safe because they’re not.
Gratitude helps me feel beyond my hard head.
This poem reminded me of something of Anna Quindlen’s, and I hope your worried soul finds comfort in this: she tells a true story of talking with a homeless man on the boardwalk at Coney Island. When it’s cold he has to “wear” his newspapers. Quindlen asks him why he doesn’t check into a homeless shelter, and he stares out into the ocean and says,”Look at the view, young lady. Look at the view.”
Thank you Betty, that story is comforting. I was also trying to remind myself and all of us that our relative riches usually come at a cost to someone, somewhere.
Garnet, thanks for taking me places I wouldn’t ordinarily go. I’m enjoying the journey and look forward to the next turn in the bend. Have a great weekend.
Garnet,
You def. captured the essence of feeling vulnerable.
You and I in our hard hats
we wear them on our hard heads
to protect our soft hearts
and our even softer souls.
Gratitude ties us together.
A pair of thank yous
Two doughnuts
with no holes.
love
liz
Trée- I’m sure you’ve been all these places. We all feel these things, but they are blocked by the reality of dayily life and living. Hard hats are necessary to survive.
HungryWriter- The hardest thing is to live as vulnerable as possible. The greatest depth comes from the greatest vulnerability.
Liz- we’re quite a pair, rolling up the hill toward the stars, defying gravity, a gratitude bicycle built for two tall, doughy raspberry filled souls!
Especially love the last line.
I’ve heard of people wearing many faces and many hats, but this is a different spin on things. Thanks for sharing.