I was always told it lies in the heart.
Take heart boys, get your courage up.
That less than an inch behind the chest
is the place where it all begins.
But I’ve known the heart to be weak.
That it loves too much. Feels too much.
Has too much guilt and too much sorrow.
That its skin is rather thin.
It betrays itself
and plays games.
It believes in things
that never were.
A blind talisman of faith,
too linked, too fickle.
No, it doesn’t come from there,
I’m sure.
I have heard others claim
it comes from the brain.
That a sound mind instructs
the leanings of the soul.
And maybe that’s so.
But I have found it comes
from someplace else,
seeded deep within
the walking whole.
A three-inch stretch
at the base of the spine
where if the tissue is strong,
a message brews.
One that says, we got this.
We can do anything.
Don’t worry for nothing,
cuz I can get us through.
What if I told you that this is where it comes from?
Would you believe me?
And what if those three inches break?
And the mind along with it? What then?
Well, take heart,
because the brain moves the body,
and movement
builds the spine.
And when the links are broken,
the spirit remains,
saying, count on me,
it will all be fine.
As long as we believe.
— ❧ —
Poetry for the Spirit
The genesis of this poem comes from some of my own health experiences and the process of rebuilding what was broken. I’ve posted a lot about health in the past, but I’m trying to move toward more positive things now—not because I’ve forgotten the darker stuff, but because I don’t want to dwell there. Still, it’s part of me. I’m just trying to take the good from it and move forward. These thoughts jumped into my head the other day.
With this poem, I liked the idea of different rhythms. Different speeds. I wanted to mimic the notion of racing thoughts vs. calm introspection. The heart, the brain, the spine, and the spirit all affect us differently at different times. Sometimes, they play a steady hand to guide us, and at others, they are what sets us adrift when they are not in concert with the other parts. Hope you liked it.
