This I Believe,
In beginnings and ends
And of living between
Of adventure
Wakened
I believe in a stillness
Of listening in.
Finding peace in the screaming,
In crying,
In pain.

I believe in the love
That comes from within
Patient and kind
Not angry, no end
I believe in a resurrection
In life from the dead
In words that speak life,
The second-chances they give.

I believe this:
That nothing is wasted
That forests will burn,
Charcoal and gray.
But that saplings will rise
In the new light of day
To carpet the floor
In green
The new black
No more branches to curtain
The sun on the way

This I believe
That nothing is wasted
When a father comes home
Says “Son, I have cancer”
This I believe,
In praying for health
Not knowing, never knowing
Never seeing
Not felt
This i believe
In healing in death
A son says to father,
“Now go to your rest”

This I believe:
Uncertain certainty
Not knowing what for
Or why or how come
Why in one August month
It came to an end
While another beginning
Would lead to an end
How “I do” and “R . I. P.”
Would then define me
This is how I believe
That nothing is wasted
When a wife coming home
Says “I love you no more”
Quits her job, quits her life
Then walks out the door
This, I believed
In waiting around
To restore
Forgive for
In laying things down
This, I believed
In letting things go
Of letting love find
Me there on the floor
This I believed
In not knowing why
Or who or how come
“Just please tell me why!”
Why in one summer month
It came to an end
Why later, next year,
No longer my friends.
I believe this:
In new love, second chances
How in one summer month
A beginning began
When a woman to a man
says “Together, we can”
“I was waiting for you”
She says, he believes
“The future is ours”
As they look at the stars.

This I believe
In all things
that work
together for good
In things just that happen
for good
or for worse
In this, i believe
That nothing is wasted
in tears that sow sorrow
That joy will replace it

This i believe
I believe this
C’est le vie
I this, believe