"May the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with courage and optimism." - Winston Churchill

in between air the pain seeps in

radiating from the toes to the top of head

spine radiating, control an attempt, as possible 

as holding air, as the present moment, and the next

trust that this air brings peace and wholeness

 

"If you put shame in a Petri dish, it needs three things to grow exponentially: secrecy, silence and judgment. If you put the same amount of shame in a Petri dish and douse it with empathy, it can't survive" brene brown

A seed thrives nestled 

exposed to warmth sun and rain

does not always become a tree

A seed punched between concrete slabs

denied its own sanctuary

yet may still become a tree