
Life wants to live.
Trauma, indignity, betrayal and other unwelcome visitors show up in some lives more than others. If they show up enough, a person might reach a point where they feel – they believe – they cannot withstand anymore. One more blow, and they will crumple and cease to be. They might plead and put The Great All That Is on notice: “Look, I can’t take anymore. I’m just letting you know this, in case you can find it in your heart to not send any more my way.”
Then, another blow – maybe a series of small ones, or one low-grade, crushing long one. Then, the person might just shut down – cease to even try negotiating with the powers that be. “What’s the point?” Now this person KNOWS, they really cannot take anymore. Truly, this time, the person will break when another wave comes.
Then, another blow. A big one. One that makes all the other blows seem like mere child’s play. And do you know what happens to our little person? Our weary, bedraggled, pushed-beyond-the-breaking-point little human, who has always had thin skin, but who now surely possesses no skin at all anymore.
It takes a long time, but this person opens their heart and makes themselves vulnerable – again. They do it. And they do it because now they really know something. Now this person knows something that is true: Life wants to live. It keeps going whether or not we can keep up. Life wants to live. So may as well embrace it. We are stronger than we think we are.
Embrace This
I’ve watched you break
I have felt every bone,
One by one, splinter into fragments
Into dust and rubble
Utter annihilation, not once
But many times
I’ve seen you stand up to tidal waves
I’ve seen you refuse fortunes
I’ve seen you run headlong into the mouth of a beast
And then another…and then another
How you emerge to run again
I do not know
But I’ve seen you reappear like magic…fully formed
Over and over again
I’ve seen the map re-write itself
I’ve seen the flowers bloom
And ruts in old roads replaced by mountain meadows
Purely by the sheer power of your will
I’ve seen you cry
Alone, abandoned and betrayed
And I’ve seen you walk outside and go right on loving
There is no give up in you
Even when you desperately wish it so
So may as well embrace this
This longing
This heart hurt
This betrayal
Because it is happening
And your heart will rise to meet you
…Again
© H. Hennenburg, 7 November 2018
Joyfully linking to Poets United.

Such a beautiful and moving poem. I really like the message, “We are stronger than we think we are.”
Thank you, Khaya!
This is so uplifting. We are stronger than we know. We have to be. What I love most, about humans, is that, after being knocked down time and time again, once more we RISE! A lovely post this Sunday morning!
Humans and all animals. We do what we have to do.
There are people who seems to be able to rise from every blow…. still I sometimes wish that they wouldn’t be punched so often.
You are a kind and lovely soul, Bjorn. Thanks for being out there!
We are both stronger and kinder than we think we are. good message.
Thank you, Toni!
There is strength in knowing oneself, in looking into our own abyss… and finding power in what we see.
The abyss is a rich source of many things!
That is intense to witness and to read and feel. I seemed to feel every break and blow in the poem. And I know someone like that. I don’t think they know how they affect others.
Thank you, Colleen.
I really like how they survived and perhaps even became stronger after being beaten down again and again. Everyone cannot do this, of course. Some will break in one way or another. I guess we can’t know ahead of time how much one can handle. One hopes to always be able to rise up, as this poem expresses.
May we build a world where those people always have someone to reach out to for help and always feel safe reaching out.
This is a wonderful testament to and celebration of the resilience of someone’s spirit. Thank you.
Your poem helps me appreciate that we all suffer. I felt your words as a call to compassion, to empathy. Of course, life does seem to be unfair in the distribution of pain, but the human spirit is so strong.
An awesome piece … thoughtful and reflective. And I love the way you end it on the mesmeric echo of …Again.
Yes, this is a wonderful piece of poetry that is great to read. Yes we want to live but sadly humans are their own worst enemies still fighting and still destroying the Earth without thought of the future.
Thanks for reading, Robin!
Yes, we are indeed stronger than we can imagine. But this kind of optimism and positive energy helps one keep moving forward. Much needed!
Yes, we must show up for one another today…and tomorrow…regardless what we think the outcome might be. Thank you, Rajani!
You give your reader so much to think about. And the imagery is stunning
Thank you so much, Jae!
i like this very positive message in the post.
“Life wants to live.” So true, i think. We, all living things, are here for a purpose, and that is to survive. Some may not know it, they are much stronger than they think or imagine. And some, yes, they break easily, but perhaps they haven’t try or believe they can overcome it.
i hope your post can reach out to a lot of people, especially in these very crazy times.
(pardon me for this rambling comment) 🙂
And all, or at least many of us, break sometimes. Breaking doesn’t mean ending. It is amazing what we can and do come back from, if only because we must. I would like it very much if my post reached people who might find it uplifting or inspiring in some way. It’s the reason I do this. Thank you for you comment! I truly appreciate it.
Yes, it is amazing what one person can come through if determined.
Even if not determined, given time, we often float back up to the surface eventually anyway. Cheers, Rosemary!
This is incredibly poignant! Your poem touched me to the core 🙂
I’m so happy you found something that resonated for you, Sanaa. Thank you for visiting!
The resiliance of the human spirit is one of life’s most often underappreciated miracles. But goodness knows we need to celebrate it more often, the way this poem does. Sometimes a little celebration goes a long way to remind us that we are still breathing. And if we’re still breathing we still have the chance to try again.
It’s amazing, the number of ‘blows’ a human can take. I love the resilience shown throughout your write. And thank you for commenting on my interview with Khaya!