(Poem 16 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)
“When we insulate ourselves from the possibility of harm, we also deprive ourselves of the beauty that our brokenness can display.” -Jay Wolf in Suffer Strong
Strong suffering
bears little resemblance
to gritting of teeth,
white-knuckled grip,
muffled cries to spare
sensibilities ill-suited to pain.
No, strong suffering
is the unfurling of a
closed heart to her lover,
a ripening of self,
splitting apart of shell
to reveal the vulnerable
underbelly of fear.
Strong suffering
does not batten
down the hatches and
bolt the doors
against all possible
atrocities, real or imagined.
No, she flings open
the shutters to welcome
the wind and invites
the intruders to break
bread at her table,
her only intention
to pay attention.
@Home Studio after finishing the book Suffer Strong by Katherine and Jay Wolf – 16th poem of the year
Wolf, Katherine and Jay, Suffer Strong – How to Survive Anything by
Redefining Everything, Zondervan, Michigan, 2020.
rebekahjmarshall 