Triumphs And Tragedies Poem by Elizabeth Padillo Olesen

Triumphs and Tragedies
As we live through the circle of life,
triumphs and tragedies we meet:
We win, we lose
we lose, we find
we mourn, we feast
we fail, we pass
we struggle, we fall
we live, we die.

We seek to triumph
and triumph to dominate
or enslave those below our feet.
We seek to triumph over tragedies
and affirm our supremacy and greatness
over the weak and those we reject.

But real triumph comes only after
real encounter with tragedies:
knowing our own weakness and last day
shedding tears with those who cry
finding strength in unity
and bearing the flame
of love and compassion
to the suffering humanity.