Miracle

I spoke with an old friend
who shared his life with me.
And I didn't sleep well after,
for the heart that lay heavy in me.

The weight had as much to do
with my own criticism
as it had to do with
the suffering of his family.

I thought:
the line between my own sharp heart
of judgement and what has befallen
this family
is as thin as the web of a spider.
And the judgement that can become bitterness
as strong a sticky hold as that same web.

I asked for a soft heart,
a tender one, alongside the prayer I
offered for the miracle for which this man longs.

Realizing that the heart I desire
is just the same sort of miracle

he wants.

**image from Karen Schnepf at karenschnepf.com and is called 4 Trees