THE JOURNEY by Deborah Beach Giordano

This poem was inspired by a friend’s comment about “fighting” a health battle…

I think we need to be mindful of our use of language; is life a fight, a struggle, a “battleground”? Our words inform our hearts as well as the other way around; and we are surrounded by the notion of violence as a solution. It is not. As I composed this “reframing” of health journeys, it became clear to me that it applies to all of us in every stage of our lives.

The Journey

by Deborah Beach Giordano

It is not a battle, but a journey:

another hill, another valley,

another curve in the road;

family and friends alongside

for a time;

some will fall away,

some will remain,

all will have done their part.

It is not a battle, but a journey:

a grand adventure;

learning familiar paths

finding new lands,

new worlds,

a new life;

returning

to what was known

and seeing it

with new eyes

and greater understanding.

It is not a battle, but a journey

through quiet forests,

flowered fields,

and often-rough terrain;

crossing raging rivers,

splashing in frog-hallowed ponds;

facing challenges

as high as mountains,

taking pleasure

in a well-earned rest

and delighting in

the majestic view.

It is not a battle, but a journey:

a voyage of discovery

along shoals and shorelines,

pushed by currents

pounded by storms,

blessed by a favoring wind,

sailing bravely forth

with a well-worn map,

an ancient compass;

navigating by the stars

upon a moon-bright sea.

It is not a battle, but a journey:

a pilgrimage,

toward the sacred goal;

a love-fueled longing

through shadowed valleys

into green pastures,

where gentle streams

will heal and nourish

the weary soul.

Deborah Beach Giordano: I am a struggling Christian, committed pacifist, near-obsessive recycler, incurable animal lover, inveterate tree-hugger; a nature mystic, a socialized introvert, an advocate for the vulnerable, an opponent of exploiters. I live in beautiful Marin County, California, where I practice a ministry in Spiritual Direction and healing arts.

~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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