Courage

A poem honouring the sacred space of unsteady steps

I looked for courage on the mountain top, its peak clearly defined, bold and triumphant
She lowered my gaze down, down to the valley
To the hidden roots beneath the uneven ground
Right down within the tough, muddy earth as I stepped on in uncertainty
I am here, she whispered, I am here.

I looked for courage in the headlines
The visible platforms and acclaimed places, the famed places
She ushered me back to the unfinished spaces, away from the noise and the certainty.
I’m not in the credits or the limelight,
I am here, she whispered, I am here.

I looked for courage at the medal ceremony, where the awards were being generously announced
She took my eyes away from the honours list and the finished products
To the ordinary moments of prolonged plodding, quiet trial, discomfort and monotony
I am here, she whispered, I am here.

I looked for courage in the figure heads, the influencers, those with fame and power,
She adjusted the lense of my vision from distant to so very near;
To my neighbourhood, my household, my closest relationships.
The quiet community connections grown slowly and gently.
I am her, she whispered, I am here.

I looked for courage among the certain things and the future ‘big things’ and the fearless things,
She held my uncertain being in this moment, my feet newly aware of the ground beneath them as I stood in the dark.
I am already here, she whispered, I am within, I am deep beneath the layers of trying-to-be, I am rooted in your values, your heart’s conviction, your stirrings and longings, the sacred space of your unsteady steps.
I am here.

Photo by Elle Storset on Unsplash

This poem is dedicated especially to anyone who is a carer, whose ongoing and essential labour can feel so unseen and undervalued. Without this quiet work our society would grind to a halt. And yet we are socialised to look to the ‘big finished things’ as inspiration. Our systems are also founded on the false economy of things that can be tangibly measured. This piece is also inspired by the lives of friends living with chronic health conditions, raising children with no support (and often with obstruction) from fathers and those caring for elderly relatives. You are who I look to for what courage looks like.

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Love and hope for a gentle week,

Ange xxx