Covenant with Time

In silence or in crisis, we can put

down the gun, bandage the wound,

carry the water and share our bread.

But under all that, all we can do is

hold each other and listen. The one,

an indispensable lifting. The other,

an indispensable putting down. So

when you fall, I will help you up.

But when I fall on the inside, just

sit with me and rub the cuts no one

can see. This is how we make it to

tomorrow: fall and rub, lift and put

down. Like the piece of cliff let-

ting go after a thousand trials to

add to the shore, we take turns.