Tenderness of fields, painting by Elena Artstyle, pixels.com
In soft slips of blooms
In cool mists of morning
In silver whispers of song
In pink presses of lips
In our arms encircling
In our fingers lacing
In our eyes wondering
In our voices laughing
In rivers flowing wide
In clouds breaking open
In boundless breath of skies
In limitless light of stars
In spring bursting into blossoms
In wings rising in golden sunshine
In our hands lifting to brilliant blue
In how earth is enfolding us
In how love is rebirthing us
In how hope is carrying us
In how we walk together
In how we fly together
Copyright @Stacie Eirich March 4, 2024
This poem is another that came with the dawn, with another morning of waking, of rising, of moving, of writing, and of hoping. Our steps forward into life after my child’s cancer are still tentative as the sun creeping over the horizon. Our steps forward into a different, but still beautiful life are soft as whispers in the wind. We take them together, and we take them while paying attention.
It is this act of paying attention that brings us into something I’ve begun to think of as a state of tenderness. It’s a way of paying attention to ourselves and the world, and to ourselves within that world. It’s both soft and strong, compassionate and courageous at the same time. And it brings us closer to that thing that we need most in order to navigate our lives: hopefulness.
Where does hopefulness come from? I think the answer to this is different for me than for you. For me, it comes from taking time to be with nature, to listen to and express song, and to create art and share it with others.
If you aren’t sure what brings you into a space of light, look around your home and the spaces you enjoy being in. What kinds of things do you treasure? What colors make you feel best? What do you turn on (or turn off) in order to unwind? When you have a few moments to yourself — what do you choose to do? Maybe for you, it’s also about who you’re with, whether it’s a family member or friend. Think of them: How do they show kindness? What is it about this person that leads you into a state of tenderness?
Pay attention. Linger there. Hold on to that tenderness, to that hopefulness, to that light. It’s what makes life worth waking, rising, and moving for. It’s why I keep writing, and sharing that writing with you. And it’s why I keep doing what I can to help raise awareness of pediatric cancer and funds to find a cure. It’s why I remain hopeful for my child and others to not only survive but thrive in years to come.
So long as we hold on to a state of tenderness, we can keep moving, keep creating — and keep living our messy, beautiful lives together. So long as the sunlight touches us, we will rise and fly together — letting hope carry us into a future wide as the big blue sky.
Thank you for being here, and for reading. If you’d like to listen to this poem and the thoughts that followed it — you can find the audio on my podcast, Poetry for Peace, Season 4: A New Dawn — available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google & more.
In light,
Stacie
*Post Script* My child is a patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. If you’d like to follow our journey to a cure, visit: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/hopeforsadie
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