become accustomed to the weight
memory lays across your heart
lift it anyway

become schooled in the crack and creak
pain of rising one more time
kneel anyway

numb your skin to the lash
every absence a thorn
lean in

somewhere in all this brush and scrub
meaning and renewal send green
tight curled leaves skyward

become resigned to buoyancy of your heart
stupid thing hears only tidal great drum boom
plays back its part

go on
lift up your heart.

Image is from my garden, a stump I installed many years ago, beautifully persistent and persistently beautiful.