Cold Harbor

In all of life's pain and strife,

Amidst the strains of human struggle,

I look out to the frozen world, to the

Banks of snow and the harbor, its water

Flickering under the glow of street lamps,

And to the ducks that paddle,

Sticking close to one another,

Comforted by company

Just as we are.

I sit here content,

Swelling with the joy of

Community and coffee and the prospect

Of Christmas.

I will try to remember this small yet

Full joy

When the pain and strife

And strains of human struggle arise in my mind

Again, for they will.

But that’s the push and pull,

The ebb and flow,

The rise of joy and fall of sadness

That make life dynamic enough

To keep living.