love

we give thanks, O God,
for love that is patient with our foolishness,
and impatient for justice;
for love that does not brag about itself,
but lifts up those whose lives are forgotten;
for love that is not a pebble in our shoe,
but a caress that wipes our tears;
for love that does not mock those who have messed up,
but speaks words of truth when truth is in short supply;
love carries the most vulnerable;
love trusts the littlest kid;
love refuses to hoard hope;
love meets disappointment face to face.

love persists in, and through, every moment,
especially when we can't.

(c) 2019 Thom M. Shuman