Each step, tentative and unsure
limping into a year full of hope
casting off the disappointments
the hurts and the self-condemnation
waking up to fresh start,
hope has not been beaten out
of this being as it treads the path
of this mortal coil
I promise to turn my face
up to the sun
I promise to clear my vision
of the cataracts of short sightedness
I promise to lighten my load first
then cast a hand back to others
I promise to breathe each breath
fully, letting them heal me in succession
I promise to speak to myself as a
dear friend in trouble
I promise to caress my tender heart
with the hands of love
I promise to allow floundering as
I learn to swim this life
I promise to forgive, for these promises
will ebb and flow like the sea.
