Where We Are

It is okay to bear
the marks of this world.
 
It is hard and harsh,
the brambles and branches
slash against our skin,
all the way to our aching hearts.
 
Of course we will feel
the sear, the surprise slaps
against our limbs.
 
Yet we press on
through the thicket
and the wasteland,
the hidden trenches
and helpful oases.
 
Yes, we bear the marks
of years of experience
and circumstance.
 
But we also bear
the beauty of resilience
and staying soft.
 
Look where we are—
around the bend,
across the chasm,
to the other side.

Our marks are markers
of a life lived,
a faith refined,
a beauty endured.