Keeping The Faith

Deep in the night,
In between bouts of hope and despair
When wondering if there will be a break in
The Clouds
or just a slight let up in the deluge–
I turn my eyes towards the heavens
and wonder how much They need to
fire us within the forge
before we’re ready enough
to be pounded,
folded,
sharpened,
hardened,
into A Useful Tool;

(Not that there aren’t enough Tools to go around–)

To mix metaphors in mid-stream,
a wise woman once told me
(and now I often quote)
that sometimes you have to touch the bottom
of the pool,
way in the deep end,
frightened,
unsure,
lungs bursting for air,
so that your toes can find purchase,
fold,
and push off,
sending you kicking towards the surface;

I wonder,
these days,
what I’ll find waiting up there,
when I take my first big breath,
and how much,
and who,
I’ll have to fight
when I get my fingers to the edge of the pool.