The little boy – with tears streaming down
his face, then falling, striking and soaking into
the bone-dry, thirsty ground, making no sound –
knelt before a shallow grave. Instinctively, he knew
even at his tender age that only rarely is found
a love like they had shared. In his heart he knew.
From his birth his constant companion and loyal friend
now lay dead, buried in the ground. The adventures they
had shared, the love and affection given freely each day,
the total acceptance without questioning in any way,
had melded their hearts in life, had broken his when
old age brought death to claim his first true friend.
“I’ll never love again. It hurts too much when it ends,”
the young lad declared. For days he grieved without
allowing comfort in. Assurances that he would love again
couldn’t convince his mind, nor remove from his heart the doubt.
After a month’s time has passed, his parents now bring
home a new puppy for him to love. At first, his apathy
and hardened heart cause him to rebuff everything
the puppy does to befriend him. But then he begins to see
the love and affection that’s his for the accepting. Cautiously,
he lets new love enter his heart, causing it once again to sing.
He learns the heart has been empowered with the capacity
to fill with love, to beat joyously, then to shatter from
grief and anger at love’s loss…yet to retain the ability
to heal and mend into a vessel for new love. Its malleability
needs be understood, so new love is welcomed should it come.
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