Hope is not some

eternal object that

humans strive for

and seek like

a great treasure

hunt of the

disillusioned world.

 

Nor is it some great

religious ideal about

heaven, paradise,

or some such place

that lies waiting for

those who are faithful enough.

 

Rather, hope is

what is given generously in

the trembling tender moments

of human frailty and loss

that create flickers of purpose again.

 

Hope is not a thing or an end

but sparks alive in the contact,

in the moments shared,

In the process of being alive

and saying that you should

not give in.

 

Hope is affirmation embodied,

and the presence of goodness

that radiates out in

the spaces of promise now.

 

9/2/2017