"They Gave Away My Dog..."

Empathy is seldom viewed as a gift by those that have and understand it.  

"They Gave Away My Dog..."

People do that -

yeah they do

and there are the reasons

all the reasons in the world

people

do things

for,

because,

and to...

And it isn't just for children

women, men, 

boys, girls...

teens - lovers, friends

classmates...

strangers.

Seems we earn

the price of admission

to the understandings we live within...

and re-experience things others believe as only dreams

- bad and worse.

Words hurt - and looks,

and hands, belts, sticks,

...silence,

guilt, innocence,

wishes, wants, the world as we live in it...

life as only we CAN live it.

People hurt us -

family - even "friends",

even ourselves.

Seems you don't just find strangers

or perhaps you thought you KNEW a now stranger

but really didn't even know your self at all.

I've lived the flinches...

hungry, cold, heat,

rain, rot and wet -

dreaded sound and light,

life and death

and prayers - answered and not...

the hand of GOD and how It 

"touched" and took e v e r y t h i n g

and every one and left

so many shattered me's behind.

What IS and ISN'T - really right,

wrong,

and the gray inbetweens - life

we live or not -

as any particular time may pause

and exist in a now that's all a me has.

And it isn't all just tears

- I know that

touch and feel that,

breathe and hold that so close and tight inside.

but the ...the rest... is so near

and neither is it forgotten.

God forgives sins

but we pay for them with every breath

each nightmare, daymare,

moments held so close they ARE our skin

each wish we believe,

each promise undone...

the fingertips drawn down life's chalkboard

echo and echo long in our

...distance..

Can you hear the heartbeats?

Do you ...hear...here... mine?

I do...

Chris

Author's Note

feel free

Reviews

[Holly Mason]

Here is in the now
Hear it all ...pay it forward
Empathy is a true gift
Graced with the presence of empathy ...
Life experiences
Thank you fine sir Holly

[Alfred Kukitz]

You weave in and out of circumstances trekking across the hills and valleys of emotions like a child of wisdom. I hear all the way to my ear Chris.

Regards,
Al

[J. Hampton]

I am so pleased you reviewed my writing...or i would not have been blessed by discovering the humble Godly /human candor and wisdom you share with such clarity....
reminiscent of Corrie ten Boom
love love this

[Chris]

Good morning... a fair time for some coffee and a pause.

[Shimmerbliss/CAF]

I absolutely love reading your work. The truth, wisdom, intimacy of expression, the flow of it...I don't even know what else to say. It is like that thought that is bittersweet, and yet we love to return to it because it is sad and beautiful all at once. As if there is something to be made of the sadness...some lesson learned...some wound healed...some meaning in all of it.
I especially love:
"Seems we earn
the price of admission
to the understandings we live within..."
You are so gifted, and your words are so gentle and teach wisdom.
I must stop or I will go on and on...

[Chris]

Hello Claire, I appreciate your pause and your thoughts.

[barleygirl]

There are so many high points here, I don't think I can adequately mention all . . . starting with first line about empathy . . . OH SO TRUE! It's painful to watch others hurting when you really do relate to what they're going thru. Stanza1: People always have reasons . . . oh so true! S2: love the specificity with which you say: "this pertains to EVERYONE!" S5: Again, good enumeration of EVERYONE who hurts us, including ourselves (especially ourselves) & oh so true! S7: Judgment is a moving target & a waste of time, well expressed in thought-provoking way. And stanza starting with "God forgives sins" . . . I've never been inclined to revenge becuz of what's stated here . . . we create our own hell. All these truths resonate strongly with my sensibilities & everything is well-stated in fresh, unexpected ways.

[MomzillaNC]

This piece is a very moving synopsis of the lives we torment, both our own and those for whom we hope to love and do our utmost on their behalf, in their best interest. There seems a bone deep veracity of the world in this piece.

I was especially struck by your opening descriptive: “Empathy is seldom viewed as a gift by those that have and understand it."

[TL Boehm]

Wow. I'm struggling to find words to comment.
"touched" and took e v e r y t h i n g
and every one and left
so many shattered me's behind.

God forgives sins
but we pay for them with every breath
each nightmare, daymare,
moments held so close they ARE our skin
each wish we believe,
each promise undone...
the fingertips drawn down life's chalkboard
echo and echo long in our
...distance..

Can you hear the heartbeats?
Do you ...hear...here... mine?

those lines really hit home. We all go through it. And I guess that's the takeaway. To keep going through and don't stop in the middle of the deluge. Wonderful write.

[Chris]

Hi Tam... sometimes we even catch a breath - ya know? and sometimes - well, ya know that too

[emmajoy]

Seems you can wrap words around near everything, perhaps Everything - guess it depends on what individuals need see and feel as being the emotional and physical be and end all. I can almost hear a voice, slowly think-talking, sitting by a fireside, holding one's hands.. soft music, a breeze playing with leaves.. else, still.. near reverent. And that beloved voice calming, explaining, telling, singing how IT is. Beautiful

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Your voice permeates each and every word; and it speaks softly, sweetly, and sometimes sad. I sigh in the feeling, your words like a breath to my soul. So beautiful!

[Nisreen]

the urgency to your words
and how you bring to life

is truly mind boggling