Joy in Suffering

If you are lucky in this life,

You will experience suffering,

In order to bring others comfort. 

Enduring a shaky flight to a new country, 

Enthusiastic handshakes are exchanged 

Followed by little Grenadian arms, 

Hestitatly wrapping around you, 

Because they know, finally,

Someone wants to care for them. 

Later realizing, with sympathy,

We entertain ourselves

With jagged rocks and skinny, brown twigs,

Because that's all they have...

... All they can afford...

All they need. 

If you are lucky in this life, 

You will learn to love the little ones,

The dirty, poor, starving kids of this country,

Even though

Once you leave,

You will never see them again. 

*Special thanks to Tony Hoagland for the use of the first line.