If you should ache in the evenings for loved ones...

If you should ache in the evenings for loved ones wishing that the truth were less than true
Remember the soft hilarity of their face and the gentle mischief smiles reminding you why smiles exist
Think of these things and ache further
For they will remind you of why you should ache •

Birthing happy thoughts will not ease clinical depression, but it will add to your joy in the most painful moments. My baby brother was gorgeous in his final moments, in fact he looked just like my 18-month old. Same eyes. Same smile. Same humor. And remembering these facets of my baby brother eases the suffering, for a time. But moment by moment, this is how we survive - taking it one moment at a time. •

Poem from Four Years in Chrysalis
© Aisha Tariqa Abdul Haqq Publishing
Follow @AishaTariqa for more daily poetry •