One of my favorite poems

Enjoy this poem. Please share it with those you love and live its message in your life.


HOPE
Carol Blackman

There are times when each of us is sick with the world
And life weighs upon us like a heavy boulder
We cannot imagine any good or happy thought
We sink further and deeper into the pit of our despair.

There are times when each of us feels sorely hurt
The very thing we loved the most has been taken away
We feel empty; we feel alone, we are afraid.

There are times when all justice has fled
We have been wronged, cheated, unfairly beaten down
How could like deal such inequities?
Why must our burdens be so severe?

These are moments all human beings share
When their hearts sink and their minds entertain the worst
Fears assail us all
We tremble and shake at problems facing us.

At these times a little voice from within us rouses us
Often waiting until we reach the very brink of despair
It tells us that we can indeed prevail
At first in nothing more than a whisper.

So soft at first that we can hardly hear it
But we listen and we begin to heed
“What’s it saying to me?” we mutter
and we bend our ear to catch is faint remarks.

And it tells us what we need to hear
from the tragedy or crisis that we feel
Our bodies are once more released
Our minds are turned to brighter thoughts.

This little voice abiding in each of us is – hope.
It is not logical or even reasonable
It is our heart telling our head what we cannot surrender
For to give in to the trials of life is to let them win over us.

From a whisper hope grows slowly
First in a moderate tone and finally to a roar
It supersedes fear, sorrow, and even despair
It gives us the courage to try again.

“Pick yourself up,” it demands
“Can’t you see that tomorrow has better things in store.”
and we begin to believe in ourselves, and we arise
To meet tomorrow a little stronger and more prepared.

“Try again! Try until you succeed,” it shouts.
and we forget our failures, our losses and all the blows we were dealt.
Hope offers us another chance to be what we dream
It insists that life is worthwhile and we are on the winning team.

Hope abides in each of us
Giving us the energy to survive
“Life is very good,” it assures us
“Carry on with your work, and you will be blessed.”