On earth

I will make my home on earth

Despite the fact it often hurts to live here

When I open my soul completely to life

There is happiness but also so much trouble and strife

That sometimes it has felt as though each step I took

Led me across a path of broken glass

Shattered by the separations that stole

Those precious souls of the ones I loved

From me

I will find a way

To love it all

and make my peace with imperfection

There will always be things that don’t work

promises made

that never come to pass

even though the promiser had best of intentions

There is no prevention that comes

through avoiding life

but sometimes I need to rest

sometimes the pain of it has

exhausted me

so utterly.

Never the less I will never give up

I will take the good with the bad

and every day I will find just a little part of this earth

to tend, to nourish or to improve

And when the day is done

I will say my thanks to the setting Sun

even as the dusky horizon

before me

glistens with the memories

and thoughts of special daily moments

spent with loved ones passed.