Forgiveness II
In Your Bones, Poem 17
“Forgiveness…can be taking the heart that sits on your sleeve and demanding that someone sit and listen to it beat or hold it and feel its rhythm…”
The inspiration for this poem…
“Forgiveness II” was powerful to write. It starts where “Forgiveness I” leaves off explaining that even my dog doesn’t completely know how to do it, because, let’s face it, sometimes dogs need cones to let their wounds heal (and we could learn from that, too!). But no matter the size of a wound, forgiveness seeks certain conditions to be complete. We have to tune into our hearts to see it through all those conditions to make it so. Naming what I needed out into the universe was the part that poetry played in helping me get there. Writing is thinking and so when you write, assuming you reread, revise, and hone, you are refining your thoughts and possibly re-framing your perspective. In that way, writing can walk alongside you on that difficult and often winding road toward forgiveness.
Writing/Meditation Prompts:
Consider journaling about a forgiveness journey you are on (or are considering). Can you draw out the path and place yourself on it at this moment? What is your next best step? What stands in the way? What will you need to work around? Who will you need to silence to move forward?
What are the conditions you seek or need to complete? Are they reasonable or possible?
Whose voice do you need to hear, or hands do you need to hold?
Write a poem using “Forgiveness is_____” to start each line (or “Forgiveness is not_____”). Forgiveness can take many forms. What does it look and feel like for you??
Can you think of a living thing you can use as a model for some part of your journey? It’s nice to have a companion along the way!
Will you be able to share this with the forgiven (or forgiving) party? That is not always possible or necessary to the process, and yet, it can be a big gift to you and/or to them.