2026 Poem by joan reese

As a child, I learned to speak.
And with that gift came the power of words —
words that lift, words that heal, words that remind
us of who we can be at our best.

I also learned that some words can wound —
words that deceive, words that divide families, friends, even a nation.
Back then, I was told that lies led to a fiery hell.
And sometimes I look around and wonder:
Is this what it feels like when truth is forgotten?

The world can seem upside down.
A lie repeated becomes "truth."
Cruelty is excused.
Compassion is dismissed as weakness.
People turn away from those who need them most.

But even in the darkest moments, clarity comes.
I see it now — and others do too.
Love rises, quietly but powerfully.
It grows in the hearts of people who refuse to give up
on kindness, on justice, on one another.
Hope is not gone.
It is gathering.
And together, we move toward a better tomorrow.