Comes the Dawn
After a while you learn the subtle difference,
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,
And you learn that love does not mean leaning,
And company does not mean security…
And you begin to learn that kisses are not contracts,
And presents are not promises,
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open,
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child…
And you begin to build all your roads on today,
Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertian 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 the flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure…
That you really are strong,
And you really have worth,
And you learn…
With every painful experience, you learn.
This is a feminist poem given to me by a friend when she was healed from a long period of emotional pain. She gave it to me to help me overcome my own and look at the past as something that would make me even stronger. I appreciate this poem very much now that I am healed.
