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Hope Isn’t Pretty

Author: Alicia Keshler-Dosa
Year: Hope

Hope is not a pretty word.
It’s sharp and it’s edgy.
Dripping with desperation
It’s weight is very heavy.
You don’t need hope
When everything is bright.
You cling to hope
In the middle of the night.
When the nightmare
Is still there when you wake.
You try everything
So you don’t break.
You're clinging, grasping
Clawing and frightened.
Your heart pounds in your chest
All senses are heightened.
Hope gives you something
To grip with all your might
When all around you caves in
And you can’t see a single light.
Hope is the difference
Between Life and Death.
Between surviving and thriving
As vital as every breath.
Hope stands strong
When everything else falls away
And whispers or roars,
"You’ll make it another day."