On Not Giving Up

On Not Giving Up


Though cruelty seems to be on the rise
and celebrated, do not give up,
there has always been cruelty among us.


Though the echo chambers of fear
cascade through the inter webs
and across the electric wires,
do not give up.


Step away, take a breath,
come back to your beloveds,
your dog, the bloom on the camilla,
your wife, a friend.


Of course, you are scared and disheartened.
Be brave. Walk into the halls of power
or the power of your own flesh
and pronounce what is good
and the ways you witness your neighbors bleeding,
the ways the powerful have forgotten
and run scared from their vulnerable hearts.


Take a rest when it is needed, withdraw
into a cup of tea or a nap
but don’t give up.


We need you. You, your specific story,
your experience,
your wisdom and tenacity,
even when you don’t feel wise or brave.


We need your tender, caring heart.
We need your shoulder on which to cry.
Don’t give up.
We don’t truly know what will happen.


We know we have to bend the arc
toward justice by showing up.
We have to save each other and ourselves.


Take a chance. Choose hope.
Don’t give up.


Lisa Cottrell