Expiation

REVENGE

In the heat of anger,

A choice is always facing us,

To strike back or step away.

Revenge a tempting path,

Promises satisfaction,

But leaves a bitter aftertaste.

To avoid such a decision

Is to somehow rise above,

See beyond the immediate pain.

To choose peace over conflict

Comes the strength to forgive,

The wisdom to understand,

The courage to let go.

Might avoiding revenge grant us

A direction to find out true power,

To embrace our humanity?

FORGIVENESS

Forgiving gives exit to

A tangled past,

A strong foothold in the present.

There can be quiet moments

Where we find the strength

To let go of the hurt.

One can see the humanity in others,

Where forgiving is not forgetting,

But a gentle acceptance,

A careful advance toward healing.

Some will experience the softening of the heart,

Others the opening of the mind,

Together they become the courage to move forward.

Granting forgiveness,

We reclaim our peace,

We find out freedom.

MOVING ON

Even as one’s past lingers,

As a specter in the mind,

The future calls,

One’s lighthouse arks its light

Showing the way to gather strength

Knowing there are more storms waiting

Where waves of strength

Rush forward

Returning having let go of what was,

Embracing what can be.

With one’s sea at calm,

We find clarity,

A way forward,

Unburdened by yesterday.

We find that moving on

Is not forgetting,

But a gentle release,

A lap upon an unknown shore,

With hope as our guide.

As we step upon the sands of yesterday,

We discover new footprints waiting.

Taking us into a density of growth

Waiting to introduce itself

To a wiser,

Stronger,

And compassionate

Traveler ready to begin anew…

Again.