This Fragile Life

Alabama got hammered yesterday by tornadoes. More devastation than I have ever seen, many areas hit hard, many deaths reported. This morning I woke up thankful that our family and property are safe and sound, but realizing that our story could be entirely different had there been a slight change in the winds. It reminded me of a poem I wrote back in 1985 when I was contemplating a much smaller scale event.

Life May Be as Fragile as It Seems

Two rescue attempts in the evening;

   Two deaths in the morning.

Life may be as fragile as it seems.

A tree survives when tended;

   Flourishes when left alone.

Life is silently adamant;

   Submissively reigning.

Hope may be as near as it seems.

A light goes out;

   The fire remains.

A door shuts tight;

   A window invites.

Freedom may be as enduring as it seems.

God hides his face

   And his image becomes clear;

He is manifest

   And the knowing are blinded.

Sight may be as inward as it seems.

Justice is slow;

   Pain is frequent.

Who does not welcome mercy?

Love may be as needed as it seems

If life is as fragile as it seems.

*