“Sometimes”
A poem shared with UUFRC 01/04/15

By Reverend Stefanie Etzbach-Dale
PART 1
Sometimes
Life just bowls you over with –

“Grace”!

Knocks you down,
So you have no choice
But to let those shimmering, soul-quenching waves of
“Undeserved” bliss
Seep into your deep parched places of
Fear and longing;
Grief and rage.

Sometimes?

You hear life shouting:
“Ain’t it grand???!”

And it’s all you can do
To keep from laughing aloud,
And spinning around like in “playground days”!
Or, maybe you do – just that!

Sometimes (when you least expect it)
When you’ve almost forgotten the electrifying taste
Of unbidden confessions of love,
Impromptu offerings of forgiveness, and hope…
Life will take you in its arms and
Kiss away
All those tears.

Sometimes.

PART 2

Sometimes

It’s

Just
Not
Fair!

Sometimes,
Despite best-laid plans,
Good intentions and perseverance,
Life just

Drops you;

Leaves you lying on the side of some road,
Wondering how you got there.

Weak and wounded.
And there’s no sense to any of it.
And no one is there
To pick you up.

Sometimes
Life hands you a “bad bill of goods”;
Renigs on a promise you had every reason to trust,
Repays your faith, your fortitude, your patience and goodwill,
With mind-numbing

Cruelty.

There. I said it.

Sometimes? It’s like that.
And it
Just
Isn’t
Fair.

And it’s all you can do
To keep it all
Together.

To find your way
Somehow,
To comfort.
To hope. And, back to life
Again.

PART 3
Sometimes
Religious community
Is recognized as An ideal place
In which to “widen
Our vision”;
In which to renew our strength and
Be a source of strength for

One another!

Sometimes, we do recognize
That there is
A connectedness,
A relationship,
That binds each to all –

Inspiring us to seek
Mutual well-being:
“Justice”.

May this be such a time.

And may it carry you through the day and week ahead,
With joyful purpose!