Softening

Life has a way of wrinkling us,

not just the external ones

visible to the naked eye,

but also the deeper ones

that hide; sometimes in our shoes -

socks that bunch-up

and blister our feet so much

we can't take another step;

sometimes much deeper,

where our soul gathers

in broken fragments

and uncomfortable patterns

we never hoped for.

We spend our entire lives –

our whole selves even –

patching, dyeing, pressing,

ironing in attempts to match

the storybook dreams

read to us as children.

And then we come across

a wrinkled, comfortable soul

who wears her scars

and patches so well,

as if her life isn't about squeezing

into yesteryear's dress blues

with no breathing room,

but the patient flowering

of a forth and back story

meandering wherever love

and passion lead in each moment,

with hardly a concern for path or ETA,

trusting that the author knows

how the narrative unfolds.

And the little voice –

the one who has often seemed

so critical and harsh –

turns as soft as a well-worn

comforter and whispers,

"Welcome home my precious child!

Welcome to this beautiful patchwork

of wrinkled life that is your story!

Take my hand, and let us

live out of today's joy

and walk into tomorrow's hope."

© 2015 Todd Jenkins