This is dedicated to business owners all over the world, as current circumstances force them to close down, with no clear path ahead.
This poem arose as a response to @mariannewest's recent freewriting prompt, bear. The phrase "bear with us" came to mind immediately, and as the plight of small business owners is weighing heavily on my heart at the moment (I've watched several much-loved local businesses announce their closure recently) the rest of the words flowed very quickly. ❤️
Bear With Us
Bear with us while we make things whole.
Sorry for the inconvenience –
We have to sweep up shards of our dreams.
They're still littering the floor
Reminding us of happier days
But we'll be with you in a moment.
It couldn't be helped – everyone says so.
Trade is not what it used to be
The market has changed
There's no one to blame
But here we are, still:
Sweeping up our shards.
We pick them up gingerly
– avoiding the sharp edges and tears
of disruption too great to bear –
And we trace our fingers across the soft centres
Because they are still filled with love.
In the centres are our memories
Of jokes exchanged
Of helping hands
Of friendships that will last a lifetime
And remind us: we are stronger than we know.
We can rebuild ... one day.
For now, let us sit with these shards
Let us hold them
Weep with them
And sweep them up
as well as we can.
We'll be with you in a moment.
Image Credit: Anastasia Shuraeva via Pexels.