There’s no escaping
the alchemy of grace —
dark times as well as bright times
have brought me to this place

The strength that rose up clear
against the bleakness,
the shine of presence
where the light was dim,
the sustenance that came from perseverance
revealed the key to all-sustaining joy

Yes, I was sent
down cold and bitter winds,
yes, it was a path
I never would have chosen,
driven through a narrow pass
where so much fluff was driven out
and I could feel the spareness
of my bones

It’s only now, some two years later,
two winters’ thaw, two springs’ renewal,
that brightness rises clean
along the edges of my days
and in the vigor of my growth
I see where I have come
and count it all for grace.

©Wendy Mulhern
June 22, 2017