Day 21 – Poetry for Lent

Oiy! The news can weigh me down. I feel like I’m generally an optimistic person, but lately, after I watch the news, it’s hard for me to be hopeful about the future of our country, environment, schools, water….

Missing hope


I boxed up hope 
some time ago
and can’t remember where I hid it.
I searched and found
despair and doubt,
and came across indifference 
buried deep within 
an empty chest.
But hope still came up missing.

I dug through pockets worn before,
paged through scrapbook memories,
even found a thread or two 
on lovers, family, friends.
But still hope came up missing.

A niggling fear begins to grow
I’ve caught it up with other things
and dumped or gave away 
to those with less.
I need it now,
I understand,
to clothe
my skeleton of stone.

But hope still comes up missing.