Taken Aback Poem by Damien Poirier

Often when we're taken far aback
By those we love, lose
And those we'd give right back
When those times befall us
And when we're at our wits
When our camels backs must surely break
Remember this
Your pilgrimage has yet begun
Remember the steps you've yet to take
So put your shoe upon your other foot
And walk a mile and or two
Knowing that there is no destination
Save trying every shoe
Walking all the miles
Know your heart of hearts will weep one thousand tears before your journey starts
Indeed those tears you weep are why you start to wander
Those lovely tears
You couldn't know
Which only meant to move you
Take you from the spot you stood too long
Give over to your tears and let them push you gently like a brook or mightily like a sea
Your tears are an ocean and you merely walking on the shore
Collect your cockell shells, collect your driftwood and your dollars
Walk forlornly upon the rocks
Dig into the sand
You walk a beach of your own making
You paint the fury of thine own waters
And yours it is to drown or swim
Yours alone to sink or float upon the foam
And all above all yours to breathe
Or down below and down beneath
All yours to swallow
All yours to grieve
So swim or sink or build an ark
To carry you and all of these to higher shores
To safer coasts where once again the floods will rise
You can only be but where you are
And thus you start and finish where you lay your head.