close to my heart
imagine
your hand is sliced
(did you miscalculate
the length of the blade?)
and you are bleeding as it dangles
from your wrist
you would not shrink back from your hand
or hold it away from your chest,
afraid of getting dirty
or possibly staining the sleeve
of your new white shirt
you would not condemn your hand
for its past or present deficiencies
or dark age spots
or inability to grasp
modern inventions
you would hold your hand
over your heart,
wrap it tight
(perhaps wince in pain)
and try to stop the bleeding,
try to keep it whole–without hesitation
because Heaven knows
you need to, without delay
even if it hurts
Their tears are your tears, and they are my tears, and the tears of our children. One world. Our hand is bleeding. Please help. Even if it hurts.
http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2010/haiti-relief.html
August 5th, 2010 |
Stopping in to see what’s new. Don’t be discouraged. When you are ready, come back and write. It will be good, I’m certain. Breaks are necessary, just different for everyone. Look forward to your return. Thanks Yousei! Nice to see you as always. I really hope I can find some time to get back into the fold soon. So, so busy these days:(
June 10th, 2010 |
Golly! You’re more absentia than even I have been! This poem remains astoundingly beautiful. I hope You and Yours are well. I send You Much Love and Light. Namaste.
Hi Bliss! So happy to hear from you. I stopped by your place and saw that you’ve been away as well so didn’t leave a message–should have! I’ve been thinking of you, always with a smile:)
May 19th, 2010 |
Very good poem you have here, so true and clever the way you put it. Yes, we should all help.
Thank you. Yes, we should:)
April 17th, 2010 |
Thanks to each of you for your kind comments. I am so sorry for the delayed response and please know it by no means reflects the amount of gratitude I have for all of you:) Hope to be back around soon!
April 7th, 2010 |
Hope all’s well – miss you hon! *hugs*
March 14th, 2010 |
So graphic and honest. This is naked soul driven work. Love it as always,
Colleen
March 13th, 2010 |
Just stopping in to say Hi. Reread this one, it’s that good.
March 4th, 2010 |
This is one of the nicest poems I’ve ever read… I wish I had something to give, even a rand but I have nothing.. My prayers are with them.
February 18th, 2010 |
You say it so well… a dark, and true depiction.
February 17th, 2010 |
Please stop by at your convenience and visit my Unexpected Gifts tab. There you will find an award under the heading Getting Krafty. The rules are there if you care to participate but more importantly I want you to know that I think you are creative and inspiring. Thank you for being one of the reasons I keep blogging. (Miss you)
February 16th, 2010 |
lovely poetry
very moving
February 16th, 2010 |
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February 15th, 2010 |
Geez. Just gorgeous. Wow. I missed You! Thank You SO much for this and for the Love You left during my absence. Big Hugs and Namaste.
Very happy to see you Bliss! You were missed:)
February 3rd, 2010 |
What a wonderful and clever appeal. Thank you for making it and sharing it.
Thank you, Yousei.
February 2nd, 2010 |
this was awesome… graphic and real.. and makes a very good point.
also….
love the new design! Awesome! love the “pull” thingy.. very cool.
Thanks Samantha, nice to see you again:)
January 30th, 2010 |
This is a powerful poem and image. Outside the realm of charity, which I support, meaning without the section on “tears, etc.,” this poem evokes multiple emotional scenarios.
Thanks Pamela. Now that I’ve upgraded to WP 2.9 I am unable to edit in word docs, so my little plea at the end there was lumped in and it reads like part of the poem, which it isn’t really. Ah well, glad it made you feel:)
January 29th, 2010 |
This was such a wonderful read…it completely touched me….
Thanks Summer:)
January 27th, 2010 |
I would love to squeeze this @ The Juice Bar…may I? Let me know thru email
Hi L.K, yes squeeze away and thank you:)Will email you as well.
also if you have a pic that’d be swell. Love your work! L. K. Thayer
January 26th, 2010 |
First time reader, thanks to the link on DarcKnyt’s post.
Of all the reports and opinions lately about Haiti, your poem is refreshingly welcome. Wonderfully written.
A close family member just returned from Miami, helping FEMA and structural engineers.
So good to find your blog. I hope to visit often!
January 21st, 2010 |
Glorious, Danielle.
Thank you Susan:)
January 18th, 2010 |
vivid message shared with conviction and heart … this does deserve a much wider audience Danielle — and the action(s) still speak louder than words. Heartwarming to hear and see BOTH from you and so many others! It is amazing how people will pull together in times of crisis. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could pull together regardless of the situation…
January 17th, 2010 |
such a wealth of imagery here, showing just how real it all is. you beautifully convey how preciously connected we all are. this tragedy weighs so heavily on me at times i’m not sure if my “blues” aren’t just a small measure of the weight of Haiti’s devastation.
I know for a fact it weighs heavily on my mind and colors my mood. Thanks for your kind words. Peace.
January 15th, 2010 |
I am at a loss for words with this-both with the loss and devastation in Haiti, and your ability to bring this close to someone’s heart- just amazing. I posted a link on my FB page to your site and this poem. I love you.
I love you too, beautiful sister. XOXO D
January 15th, 2010 |
This is exceptional… seriously, if you are in contact with Save the Children or another charity, they could probably use something like this to make people think and feel about the Haiti tragedy more directly. Incredibly personal and heartwrenching.
(Sidenote: I’m going to a Red Cross Haiti benefit tonight! People do still care.)
Of course you are, because you rock, Mr. Harker
You’ve just given me a great idea. I might have to look into that–I actually think as far as poetry goes this is really poor–but I wasn’t really trying to be poetic here, just convey a message. If that worked, I’m happy. If it can somehow continue to help, I’m thrilled.
January 15th, 2010 |
It is always the children that drive us, propel us to do things that might never occur to us otherwise. You are a beautiful heart Daniella.
Ah Falc, I’m not always a beautiful heart. I’m trying to improve, though, and knowing people like you are Darc are helping me to better myself. But yes, children have a way of touching us…perhaps because we are all children in one way. XO D
January 15th, 2010 |
Awesome Danielle, words are power in times of grief.
Words, prayers, thoughts..the most powerful, always. Thanks Mark:)
January 15th, 2010 |
One world. Our hand is bleeding
YES!!!
Yes, it is. We can all help make it stop. Nice to see you, as always, D:)
January 15th, 2010 |
That doesn’t surprise me at all, J. hugs
January 15th, 2010 |
I think this one is close to most everyone’s heart D. My husband went there when he was younger as part of a church group, he wishes we could just jump on a plane and go.
January 15th, 2010 |
Marc it’s nice to see you. I saw that you had visited before, and tried to comment on your blog post from several days ago, but couldn’t. My OpenId is not working with Blogger for some reason. So please know that I enjoyed my visit and will be back even though I can’t comment:)
I guess only you know how you feel. The point is that if we viewed humanity–all people– as extensions of ourselves, one sacred person, we would never hesitate to stop the bleeding regardless of the additional mess it might make or additional cost for us. We react immediately when we personally feel the pain. Too many of us do not empathize with other people because they are seen as separate. They vs. me. In my mind, they are me. There has been a lot of talk about Haiti and it’s history and some have even gone so far to say that they brought on this disaster themselves because of the sins of their forefathers. I’m not going to comment about that to avoid convoluting this discussion with religious and political statements except to say regardless of one’s beliefs about these people they are people, children are innocent and we were all once children. If every person could just drop the judgment and the fear of how personally helping might “hurt” financially or otherwise, we’d be a better world for it. And-every person can make a difference. Just one dollar multiplies exponentially when we all contribute. More importantly, one prayer (or kind thought, whatever you’d like to call it) does the same and builds a stronger collective conscious. There are different ways to help, and sometimes I do believe that there are other ways more powerful than money after basic needs are met.
This particular charity is very close to my heart and I sponsor a child through Save the Children. I can’t afford to give much but I am seeing the power of what little I can give put to use in building a safer society for children. I am also seeing how knowing people care affects the lives of these children. Perhaps someday they in turn will help others. My point in writing this is not to promote a particular charity either–it is more of a gut reaction against apathy or judgment. That said, there are an incredible amount of truly giving people in this world as well, and for that we should all be grateful. We are, as a whole, a nation of giving people, and I am grateful to be part of this great country.
Thanks again for stopping in. Come back soon:)
January 15th, 2010 |
The last time I sliced myself open, I did not just hold my wound close but launched myself 5 metres in less than a split second and then began laughing hysterically.
It is a shame that so many people are “unable to give” because they can not “afford” it after squandering their money on frivolous … crap.
I am no better either. I would be able to afford to assist if I did not buy a packet of cigarettes today, yet I continue to smoke.
Does that make me the man who does not want to wreck the brand new shirt, or does it make me the hysterical laugh at the fact I chopped myself with a knife?
January 15th, 2010 |
It breaks my heart to see children suffer. People will spend ten dollars on junk food and then not donate one dollar at the checkout line because they can’t afford i,t or judge a nation, belief system, whatever. How is this possible? We’ve become so desensitized. We’re all children of God. Every one of us.
January 15th, 2010 |
Beautiful words, D, and beautiful analogy. You hit this perfectly.