upmc poetry: empathy

[prismaticbleed]

from the shore, I see you struggling through rough waters.
from the field, I hear you trudging through the woods.

Many have called out to you, seeking to guide you, but
their words are landlocked, mowed clean as a lawn.
They speak of destination, not distress.
You cannot remember that language,
and they cannot see a clear path.

The problem is, there isn't one.
The solution is, there is still a path.

But it's soaked by waves and billows,
pierced with thorns and briars.

The path is painful, and difficult,
but it is there,
and it leads to right where you are.

I know, because I have been there.
I know, because I have walked it before.

So I dive into the sea, and I press through the hedges.
I see you. I recognize this place.
You are not alone.

Take my hand; let's leave this painful place together.