Well Enough

I lay limp
at the bottom
of the well

It is cold
and dark

The climb
seems impossible

The light
distant and small

But Someone
has loved me
well enough
to send
a bucket down

A container
for my disappointments
attached to a rope
braided from strong fibers
of faith, hope, and forgiveness

I know that
to take hold
I must let go

I sing my ascent

The hymns of my fathers
The keenings of my mothers
The secrets of my sisters
The tauntings of brothers
I have not known

I sing them all
and I climb

My prison becomes
a birth canal
a sacred portal
from trap to transformation

My hands burn
but not nearly
as hot as my heart

The yearning for Life
churns in the pit of my stomach
as my pit of despair falls
further and further beneath me

I feel the first
silky fingers of warmth
stroke my hair

I pause there
just a moment
and offer my face
to the Comforting Sun

And I understand
She is the One
Who has loved me
well enough

I smile, I sing, I climb.

~Cheryl Anne

With love and gratitude for St. Brigid of Ireland, and for all the Strong, Brave, Generous Women who have made such a beautiful difference in my life.