Poem July 1, 2019 Issue

LOVE

Joan Ware

Long dry spell … little inspiration … few healings …
a whole lot of turmoil … a DROUGHT.
One night on mental bended knees I humbly asked,
“Father, what do I need to know?”
Then I waited. I vowed to stay as long as it took to get an answer
—and was startled at the quickness of the reply.
A question answered my question. Three simple words:

“WILL YOU LOVE?”

Instantly, all confusion; pressure; the trying to figure out
the whats, whys, wheres, whens, hows CEASED in
the POWER of those three simple words:
“Will you love?”
Would I love when I thought I couldn’t … when I didn’t want to …?
Would I love when it didn’t even seem fair to do so …?
Would I love when I got nothing in return …
when I would be hated for it … when no one else would or could?