Pain Creates Hope
Everything now is going wrong.
You can’t seem to find yourself.
Where do you sit now but the corner?
Weeping to the eerie silence
Thinking to yourself dreadful thoughts
Of melancholy and sorrow.
“What went wrong?” You scream
But are answered with only silence.
You sit alone in the cold, quiet room.
Frustration overtakes your body,
Hands slamming upon the brick,
Running over a tear-soaked face.
You lie surrounded by silence
But for each agonizing breath you take,
Each reminding you of one breath
You wish to have never taken.
As you search your mind for none
But a single reason to stay strong,
You are overcome by hopelessness.
The notions tear at your existence.
As your mind begins to give in,
A tapping alerts your ears.
You stand slowly, knees weak
And wipe the tears from your face
As you walk slowly to the door.
“Who could it be at this hour?”
The door opens a crack as you peer.
Nothing. The night air appears vacant.
The door shuts gently, and you turn
Back to the same silence as before
Though interrupted by a voice
That whispers your name over.
Turn around to darkness as you feel
Arms engulfing you into a warm embrace.
Panic-stricken mind searching
For the source of this odd affection
To find none but her face straight ahead.
The one safe haven you’ve ever known
Is standing just before you at your weakest.
“Why are you crying darling?” Echoes the room
In the voice you’ve longed to hear.
As you part your lips to speak to her
A finger lays itself across them
Say no more, she knows your stories
For she’s been with you the entire time.
She parts your way with a kiss
And leaves you to return to the corner.
Moving back to the post near the wall
Where the dreadful thoughts once lied
This time, new thoughts flood your mind
Not of worry, but of meager optimism.
Reminding you to remember the good in life
However small the good may be.
Your cleansed mind wanders freely to find good
And comes to find its own hope.
Whispering, that joyful days we have
Can only be alongside the pain
For without feeling poor,
The feeling of good would cease to exist.
So, child, pick yourself off the ground
And wipe the tears from your cold face.
Maybe things seem rough now
But it will surely improve soon.
No matter how bad you feel,
Keep the notion deep within your heart
That this day, this pain
Is what makes joy possible.
Thanks, Ryan, for the inspiration.
Note: The girl pictured in this poem is not necessarily a concrete person, but a comforting thought or idea.
