I wrote this poem in Thailand when I was really wrestling through some personal pain the trip brought up. I also rewrote some of it post-trip. It goes along beautifully with the post I’m writing for Thursday.
Broken & Unbroken
There is always a moment
when I feel broken
and everyone else feels whole.
I often wonder,
Am I the only one?
The only one wrestling,
the only one afraid,
the only one incompetent?
I travel the world.
I see so many people
who are broken just like me.
We aren’t that different.
Similar hurts and pains
and triumphs and joys
shine through their faces
as I make eye contact.
Our spirits touch.
I do not feel so alone.
Because I see others who are shattered
yet who do not give up.
They stand up, despite the load,
because they refuse to be defined by the past.
I think to myself,
The strength of humanity
flourishes in the midst of brokenness.
This is what makes them unbroken.
Unbroken is looking forward.
Forgetting what lies behind,
pressing on to what lies ahead,
it is healing, thriving, loving—
no matter how painful the journey.
Here is found the universal redemption of mankind.
Suffering is everywhere,
but the courage to rise up despite suffering
is everywhere, too.
And that is what makes the difference
between the broken and unbroken.
09-29-14
Photo by Adobe Stock/ipopba
