A Poem from Beata

The Walk

I walked today
With thousands of others  -

There was a buzz of excitement
As the crowd built.
A sense of comradery was felt
As the distinctive pink tops
Joined us together in purpose.

We all knew why we were there,
And yet our reasons were too painful to dwell upon.
Each had a heavy heart
As the inscriptions on our backs read.

So many touched by troubled times.
So many stories of courage and hope,
So many lives lost.
Where does one begin to understand the magnitude of pain felt?

We look within,
And find it in ourselves –
Still raw, still open wounds
That  have had no time to heal.

How do we cope? –

We look around
And get distracted by the crowd,
We concentrate on the here and now,
Taking one step after the other,
Knowing that the steady climb of the hill will come to an end
And there will be an easier path to travel down the other side.

This keeps us going.