October 5th

 "O God, you are my God, I seek you,

          my soul thirsts for you;
     my flesh faints for you,
          as in a dry and weary land 

    where there is no water." Psalm 63:1

the loneliness which seeps

into us even in the most 

crowded of places seems

like our most faithful friend.

the barrenness of humanity

seems to make our world unable 

to produce any sort of crops

of goodness or of peace, 

of generosity or even simple grace.

the springs of hope which once

quenched our parched souls 

now seem to be only a trickle 

as if the pipes have been 

clogged by fear.

yet, 

and yet,

we will not give up, trusting

that as always, we will find you

in the most unexpected places

and the least likely people.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman