May 12th

"I kept my faith, even when I said,
   'I am greatly afflicted';" Psalm 116:10

it was faith who
opened their arms
to let me sob my heart out
when my soulmate died.
it is faith who sits

next to me, singing

soft lullabies until i drift

off to sleep each night.

it was faith which 

held my hand when the

echoes of angry voices 

with angrier words turned

my deep sleep into nightmares.

it is faith who whispers
in my soul of how valued
i am when everyone else
mocks and rejects me.

it was faith who came

storming into my room

yelling 'no more fears

jumping on the bed!'

it is faith who has been
my most trusted counselor,
my best friend,
my cherished companion,
even when i thought
i was walking alone.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman