All of my years of life have shown me that it is almost impossible to keep the living spirit down permanently. No matter what comes along, we weather it, and we move on, sometimes with great difficulty. In fact, it takes real work to stay beaten and sad…real work. One of our favorite poets, authors and activists, the late Maya Angelou, gives us a great example of the indomitable spirit in her saucy, sassy poem, “Still, I rise.” Here are a few excerpts:
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies.
You may trod me in the very dust
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.
…………………………
Out of the hearts of history’s shame
I RISE.
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I RISE.
A look at Angelou’s personal history shows us her personal struggles, and I recently watched her recite this poem in its entirety on a video in all her dancin’, fingerpoppin’ glory. She wasn’t kidding in the least!
I’m knowing that there is that vibrance in us that knows and trusts itself to be our consistent, emerging spirit. There are those in our lives who will walk with us through the dark times, especially as we find the will to reach out. And there is light ahead…
Life is good…and very good…
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