When My Heart Breaks

When my heart breaks

and I can no longer bear

the pain of the world,

I go and stand among the trees—

their upright strength

rooting my faltering faith.

On that holy ground,

I feel the press of ancient air,

always here, circulating,

breathing me through time,

selflessly sustaining me

and innumerable others,

letting me know I am safely held.

When my heart breaks

and I can no longer bear

the pain of the world,

I walk to the water’s edge

to listen to its roaring rhythm

that washes me clean

and buoys my submerged spirit.

In that envelope of soothing sound,

I turn toward the waterline sun

and let its reparative rays

burn away my fears

and renew my quieted joy.

When my heart breaks

and I can no longer bear

the pain of the world,

I turn again to this living earth—

patient, primordial, enduring,

graciously rejuvenating me—

and remember

I am not alone.

-Written after a weekend spent next to the shore of Lake Michigan in Muskegon County.