Hope Floats, Rivers Flow
A Poem By Ally Hella
They say that hope floats
But what does that mean?
I’ve clung onto hope
And felt it buckle at the seam
The days start to feel lighter
You can feel the page turn
Then get the wind knocked out of you
When you look over and see the urn
Today is the summer solstice
The longest day of the year
Am I going to spend it fully
Or live another day spent in fear?
Fear that this might not be over
That darker days might lay ahead
Those thoughts that creep up at night
As you’re lying in your bed
When the thunder rolls and lighting strikes
Are we going to bunker down?
Will we assume it will always be this way
Or let our guards fall to the ground?
Life has a way of shaping you
When you’ve been touched by its jagged edge
But if you look the other way
You’ll see a staircase off that ledge
It’s true there is darkness in this world
Not everything is pure and true
But we’re meant to connect & spread the light
Not live in the dungeon of blue
It’s easier said than done
And it’s not the same for us all
Yet a sunflower was not meant to cower
But to stand strong, proud and tall
If darkness is all we focus on,
Then more darkness we will find
But if we look to find the beauty and love
Lighter things may fill our mind
Trees may fall, thunder may roll
Evil may try to steal our joy
But there’s a reason that you’re here today
And a purpose for your soul to deploy
Some days are spent at the top
Others, we feel we’ve hit the floor
But we can always get back up again
Turn around and walk through a new door
Grief may shape us to be more aware
Alert, conscious and awake
To both the good and the bad in this world
For both of them God can give and take
But today, I ask you this:
Not to paint a smile on your face
But to find the strength to keep going
And hold onto a piece of faith
Faith that there is a purpose to all of this
And that while we might not know the plan
It’s greater than we can imagine
This heavenly, promised land
In the meantime, life here on earth
May not be easy every day
But when we need that guidance
We can bow our heads and pray —
Ask for strength to keep on going
Strength to use your voice
Strength to live your purpose
Strength to make a choice
Am I going to be victim
To the harsh ways of this earth?
Or am I going to be stronger
When I see the urn up on that hearth?
While some have left their earthly journey,
I am still right here with time
There is still more work for me to do
God has made it clear, but the choice is mine
Life might feel like a rollercoaster
Peaks followed by some harsh drops
But life goes on, and even after this
Love still lives, it never stops
If you’re going through it today
And not sure what happened to your smile
Give yourself some grace
You can get it back in a little while
It’s important to feel those feelings
And not numb them away
For if we start to numb ourselves
They’ll just return another way.
Hope might seem a foolish thing
Blind trust with no action taken
But hope requires active faith and love
Those doubters are mistaken
So, let yourself be fully you
Embrace life’s highs with the lows
For its all a part of this journey
Just like the river, it always flows