04 April 2026

Two faces of poetry

 

“The work of a mature human being is to carry grief in one hand 

and gratitude in the other and to be stretched 

large by these two things.”

~Francis Weller


Like the masks of comedy and tragedy,
poetry wears our grief and gratitude,
expanding to fit the world we live in. 
 
A quick-change artist, it shows one face
while the other is waiting in the wings,
ready to enter whenever the first wavers.
 
Thus, poems actively grieve the death of both
innocents and guilty, while reinforcing
their hearts with spring dew and flowers.
 
Poems rue the destruction of all we know
while thanking God for life and words. Looking
up at corpses, poems burst into tears.
 
Gratitude for humor, some quite biting.
Grief for our planet, awe for astronauts.
Pauses to find an exit and an end.



My blog poems are rough drafts.
Please respect my copyright.
If you quote, credit this page.
© 2026 Susan L. Chast

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