Comfort

Yea, though I walk 

through the valley 

of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil

for thou art with me 

thy rod and thy staff 

they comfort me

But now is not the time 

for rods

or staffs 

or comfort

It is not the time to be swallowed 

to wallow in words of anger

that overwhelm you 

to let disbelief stop you in your tracks

Do not allow yourself 

to retreat into 

hatefulness

and self righteousness 

and fear

For unfortunately 

Sometimes 

what we fear the most 

will come true  

Most definitely 

when we need it to 

And it is not that we must not fear it

It is that we must walk into it

Even when 

especially when 

we fear it

I realize the trouble Is

that it is hard to walk

When it feels like someone has been kicking you in the shins 

every time you take a step

But the trouble also is

the way every other country

has seen us 

which is that we are too comfortable  

No matter what our problem is 

in this country 

we are still 

more comfortable 

and well off 

than almost anyone else in the world  

I realize that this thought is not comforting

It is not our job to be more comfortable right now 

There are too many people 

Who have been too comfortable 

with too many things 

for too long

At this humiliating moment

This country is seen  

as the biggest clown car 

on the planet  

And at this suffocating moment 

It is all we can do 

to allow the new driver

to look like a clown 

and hope that very soon 

even his own followers will see

But in the mean time 

It is up to you and me

to show them what acrobats 

and tightrope walkers 

look like  

Show them what elephant trainers

and lion tamers 

look like  

Show them what respect and dignity 

and humility and compassion 

and selflessness and generosity 

and beauty and soul 

and love 

looks like

Show them what self love looks like

in the face of hate  

If you can

take that gentle cemented stand

Root your feet

and branch out your loving hands

you will show them 

how to love themselves 

Which is what was missing 

in the first place

Having a mother to protect us 

is a lovely thought 

It is a comfort  

Believe me when I say

I know what it feels like to want something so much 

you think your heart will explode

You think you will die without it

and in that moment 

when you know you cannot have it

the blackhole that surrounds you 

beckons like a comforting death

However

Sometimes comfort 

does not instill growth 

Sometimes comfort 

does not create change 

sometimes comfort 

breeds complacency and apathy  

2 things that have no place 

in the evolution of this human race 

No soul runs deeper than 

that of a motherless child

And hell hath no fury 

like a woman scorned 

And sometimes we forget

That being president 

of the United States 

is not the highest calling 

on the planet  

Being a mother is  

And a great mother once said 

it takes a village  

But she must have been meant 

for something greater 

and so are we

Let us not despair 

Let us not raise our tempers 

Let us not raise a hand

Nor rod

Nor staff

Instead 

Let us raise a glass

Let us raise ourselves

Let us raise each other

Yea, though I walk 

through the valley 

of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil 

for thou art with me