I began life with a cry,
A cry said that something inside
was not in harmony
with this world of buzzing confusion.
Beyond my inner discomfort
The sound was also a cry out
to a world beyond myself,
to care for me, to comfort me,
with a soft teddy bear
and to welcome me into a web of loving care –
To a world of beauty, with laughter and amazement
Many moons have past
I recall the times I felt ready to cry
Over pains, sickness, and losses.
With illness and age echoes of cries yelling discomfort peek through.
Again the kindness of people offers comfort.
I have lived in a world harboring
hatred, injustice, and violence.
I have cried out against this.
Now the challenges of this world in which I am a part
sometimes feel hopeless.
Extinction of the bear that had inspired my Teddy,
Recurring pandemics, endless war, the bitter hunger of children
and the destruction of a viable habitat.
No matter the odds what remains for me is to cry out
as part of a wave to save the gift of life.