Don’t tell me to
Be grateful for hardship
I never wanted such strength
Lifting the weight of seven generations
Silencing the groans of ancestors reverberating
In my bones, my tendons, my blood
Let me be thankful for the quick footed antics
Of chipmunks and squirrels
For flocks of birds, and the lone hawk
I will raise my voice in praise to the moon, and the sun, and the stars
And gently touch the rose with my finger in blessings
I will honor my family and friends
Offering love, and peace, and compassion to strangers and
Those I consider kin
To hardship, I grit my teeth
Clenched jaws, and shoulder into the hard work
Fortitude and patience
Tenaciously digging out from under the rubble
Heaped on innocence
I am not grateful for it
You do not thank for this
It is to be endured, survived
Then risen above and left like the waste that it is
Let it decay
When it is fertile loam, plant trees
One can be grateful for trees
Growing strong through decades
Forgiving the once barren land with life itself
