Forgiveness
by John Herlihy
Forgiveness arises out of nowhere in unexpected ways,
So that when forgiveness arrives, such beautiful feelings convey.
Forgiveness smells like the perfume when a flower is crushed,
Forgiveness lies in the patience of the silence that feels hushed.
The treachery that challenges us holds an evil laid bare,
The wisdom of forgiveness found in the solitude of prayer.
Sturdy walls are built from the red bricks of betrayal,
But crumble to dust when acts of forgiveness the walls assail.
Specks of faith swept away by the dust motes of doubt's brooms,
Forgiveness in naked branches of an almond tree when it blooms.
Heaviness lies in the unforgiving heart that grows weary and cold,
With forgiveness, the innocence of youth returns to those now old.
The cold and the snow wreaked their havoc and nothing assumes,
The apple tree blames winter, but all is forgiven when it blooms.
Our grievances oh so little up against our forgiveness oh so big,
A gnarled old fig tree forgiven when it produces a succulent fig.
The flower forgives the bumblebee who has stolen its honey,
The wise merchant forgives the thief who has stolen his money.
The plodding old caterpillar forgives the emerging butterfly,
For breaking its many legs, allowing such beauty to freely fly.
Forgiveness at the center of things, the unforgiving walk the rim,
The empty vessel empty no longer when it is filled to the brim.
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Copyright © John Herlihy
Wednesday 4 March 2026
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