we find ourselves
this long morning of this long week
children of division
some of us already know this place
grew out of it
like weeds in sidewalk cracks
we can show you how to
hang on, eke out, tuck away
how to do the work
of building a middle ground
nothing but love in all directions
when the world retreats to its corners
remember
your home is in the people you love
wherever they are
however far apart they stand
let them see you grow true
stay close enough, if you can,
to have them hear your story
learn the wideness of the world
from each other
also know when it is time
to pack up and scatter with the wind
to safer ground
I know well the middle ground of
sometimes losing my godly wagers
what it is to win some, and to lose some
once a child
who I still carry around
the sun keeps rising
whether you choose to soak the anger
in whether you lose your faith or find it.
you always get an answer
not always the one you want
so warm your middle ground
with fast food and slow hugs
fill it up with jobs and small joys
a lot of this life is going to
happen outside of what we fix our hopes on
I promise you can grow here
here there are still
the building blocks of dreams
and the extravagant kindness
of a light that can pull the best of us
up and out of the
cracks in the world.
Nicole Kelly is an entrepreneur, poet and part-time pastor at Left Hand Church in Longmont.
