By Vince Gowmon
Beneath your trying
you may discover
a well of tremendous untouched
grief.
Trying to be strong
Trying to be tough
Trying to be needless
Trying to be dependable
Trying to look good
Trying to do good
Trying to be brave
Trying to be funny
Trying to be smart
Trying to be beautiful
Trying to make it,
get there
Trying to keep it,
hold it,
all together
for yourself,
for everyone around you
So much trying
keeps us from the depths of
much needed crying
It keeps us busy,
distracted,
caring for others,
lost in what we think is
important,
looking everywhere
everywhere,
but within
For if we were to
stop
long enough to
feel
beneath the pulse
of busyness,
the lure of
intellect,
long suppressed
grief
would eventually find us
hiding
tears rising,
like bubbles to the ocean’s surface,
from their
dark acquiescent
quietude
shaking,
disarming,
the foundations of
trying-me
crumbling
the one you have defended
so stoically,
paraded so deftly,
held in solemn place,
slowly
brought down
by the weight of
your secret tears.
_____________________
Check out Vince’s book: Wild Empty Spaces ~ Poems for the Opening Heart
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