This
poem came from talking to a friend who’s going through a difficult time
physically, mentally and emotionally…
I shared it with my friend privately and was then
going to post it on my Facebook page with the thought that it might speak to
others as well. As I started to do that, my feed opened up to the post of
another friend who was voicing tremendous self doubt, from that same address of
hopelessness. So instead of posting it generally, I posted it as a reply to
her. She was overwhelmed with gratitude. For me it was as if the universe was
affirming that I was doing the right thing, and for her it was proof that the
universe did hear!
I’ve been at that noisy, despairing place myself,
and I know from experience that you can’t move forward, overcome obstacles, or
have any kind of success if you don’t have hope. Without hope, the pain of the
situation not only continues, and we begin to spiral into a soul sucking vortex
of negativity that is difficult to escape.
The good news is that we don’t need a lot of
hope. Just a small amount will do. That’s where the “one ounce” comes in. Hopelessness
clouds our vision of life as if we are carrying an ominous burden everywhere we
go. Hopelessness even presents itself as a physical condition, stealing our
smiles and causing us to walk as if we’re shouldering concrete stressing all of
our bodily systems.
The good news is that just one ounce of hope has
great power! A declaration of hope starts to immediately wipe away the
black clouds and allows us to recognize, once again, the beauty in the universe
that was present all along. Options and opportunities that were always
there seem to announce themselves anew when we stop doubting our strength to
persevere. Suddenly, we have choices where seemingly none existed before. Hope
has worked its magic and its existence in us shows. Now the path we must take
doesn’t seem quite as daunting. The river we must cross seems a little less
wide. Just one ounce. That’s all it takes.
Just One Ounce
by Carol Reedy Rogero
To
all who are journeying
on
broken bridges
with
uneven footing
burnt
and charred
across
tempestuous waters
through
raging choking flames
with
ghosts of yesterday's despair
screaming
in their ears.
Treacherous
tides of self doubt
nor
cyclonic winds of anguish
will
overcome.
Your
destiny resides not in the noise of now.
Your
kismet answers not to the voice of doom.
All
that is needed is one ounce of hope.
In
solitary silence
raise
the flag of victory
for
no apparent cause.
Invite
only those with love and acceptance tattooed on their heart
to
a gala for you
the
brave the strong
the one who was meant for so much more.
Declare
your one ounce.
One
solitary ounce.
You
are enough.
You
have enough.
Just
one ounce.
The
universe will hear.
 |
| Photograph by Dennis Ilin |
Carol Reedy Rogero: “By day I’m a 6th grade public school teacher, grandmother, mother, wife, daughter and sister. By night I’m a 3am poet and writer, a traveler, just like you, walking my path, trying to stop and smell the roses, be conscious of and respectful to my fellow travelers, and read the road signs along the way. Each day I pray for guidance (there’s where the pedestrian life and walking with God comes into the picture) to make the “right” turns, do some good, and leave no litter behind. My happy place is by the ocean, which I’m lucky enough to live near and where you’ll find me on most sunny Sundays, meditating, practicing yoga, writing or scouring the beach for trash and heart shaped coquina. I love to read, write, travel and discover the connections that we all have with each other. I blog here, where I hope my readers find something inspirational that speaks to their heart and touches their soul.
~If you are interested in seeing your poetry appear in this blog, or submitting a poem by a woman that has inspired you, please click here for submission guidelines. I greatly look forward to hearing from you!~
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