This is heart country
and everyone here has their tender places,
everyone has the deep hollows
they can get lost in,
and if you step in them you sink way down

Walk easy
for this is heart country,
home of breaks and bruises
and of grateful, boundless love.
All who have hearts can see each other
if their eyes are open

Tread carefully, for each heart is different
and the paths to understanding
have many false turns,
but if you keep your own heart clear
you’ll find the steps
that lead you ever inward
to the common hearth.

©Wendy Mulhern
September 26, 2016