Come Closer
What if one day
you let the sadness,
the grief stuck under your ribs,
the regret lodged in your throat,
the shame still folding down
the corners of those precious lips
to come closer
to not push them away
or angrily shake your finger
scolding them
for their persistent presence
and instead chose to say,
“For so long I have tried to avoid you,
ignore you, medicate you,
keep my distance from you.
I didn’t want to be associated with you.
But today,
today I am tired.
I am tired of the effort it takes.
Today,
please,
come closer.
Let me breathe, sit, cry, moan,
dance and hold you.
My precious friends, yes,
I call you friends.
Because I see
there is no other way to wholeness.
There is no other practice or strategy to try.
Just this.
Arms vulnerably outstretched
heart bursting, beating wildly
wanting now to only draw you closer
into my arms, my chest,
and ever so tenderly
let you weep,
let you fold into me
like a babe in his mother’s arms
my hand caressing you
my sweet whispers soothing you
until our tears –
the stars –
begin to shine in the moonlit night
turning into jewels
that become our offering to the Divine
who has been waiting for so long now
to hold us…”
What if today is that day?
Lisa McCrohan, MA, LCSW-C, SEP
Blessings,