I get that stupid moments from my past –
ungainly words, unhealing silences,
don’t need to send a wound
down through my presence

We all deserve to be forgiven
for being out of touch, and for revealing it,
caught in the embarrassment
of our obtuseness,
tumbling suddenly
from what we thought was grace

While no resolve can guarantee
that I’ll do better,
this truth I have discovered:
my acuity can’t navigate
these fraught relations,
but Love, with ample grace,
smooths everything

And all of us are loved enough
that we can shine it to each other,
and innocently manifest the wisdom
that lets us share our love as we intend.

©Wendy Mulhern
September 25, 2023