Courage Poem

Obstacles, Choices, Resiliency, Peace

I began writing poetry to process my emotions over the loss of my dear husband in 2015. After navigating that loss and finding new love, the unimaginable happened again four years later when my (now) life partner died unexpectedly soon after we retired. "My Place in the Universe" chronicles my journey as I, alone, one step at a time, walk through unfathomable grief and fear of the unknown to my place of serenity and joy. Today I am whole, at peace with my life choices, and always grateful.

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My Place In The Universe

Published by Family Friend Poems February 1, 2024 with permission of the Author.

One time there was a mountain,
and I said, "I can't climb that mountain,"
and I turned back and took a different path.
And along the way I encountered wild beasts,
beasts with fangs and horns and razor-sharp hooves.
Yet, they didn't harm me.

And one time there was a raging river,
and I said, "I can't cross that river,"
and I turned back and took a drier route.
And along the way I viewed veins
of diamonds and rubies,
emeralds embedded in rocky crags--
jewels that glimmered and shone,
ripe for my picking.
Yet, they didn't enrich me.

And one time there was a valley,
a valley, deep and foreboding--
a godless well that beckoned me to leap in,
and I said, "I can't traverse that chasm,"
and I turned back and followed the sun,
then the moon, and then the stars as night fell.
And then I rested in utter darkness
when I wearied of walking.
Yet, I was never lost.

And soon, there was an ocean before me,
and I said, "I don't need to cross the sea. I've had my time
with wild beasts and riches and the stars of the night sky."
So, I stayed on the shore
and let the warm waves wash me
to my place in the universe.

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