Walk in the Pain of Others

Human beings my children my beloved

must walk into the pain of others

must cradle the anguish the tears

the raw sacred truth of life

must hold the suffering close

not with pity not with distance

but with the intimacy of a lover’s touch

This is not a sermon of power

not a doctrine of men

not a political dance

or a game of thrones and crowns

but a plea a cry from the heart

an expression of hope of love

a simple humanity

for humanity's sake

Feel it my dear ones

the wounds of another's soul

the silent scream in their eyes

the unspoken agony in their hearts

not for glory not for gain

not for some celestial reward

but because in this broken world

we are all the light we have

Think of the baby’s cry in Gaza

the homeless beggar’s outstretched hand

the mother’s silent grief

the father’s unending toil

each one a mirror

reflecting our shared human frailty

our shared Divine spark

So here it is

my heart my hope my everything

a simple humanity

for the sake of love

a whisper a prayer

in this beautiful suffering world

where each tear is a sacrament

each touch a blessing

each act of kindness a miracle

a testament to our shared grace

Do not turn away

do not close your hearts

but embrace the pain the joy

the full spectrum of this existence

for in the act of loving

in the act of caring

we find our true selves

our true salvation

a simple humanity

for humanity's sake

© Richard Gordon Zyne