Forbear
Forbear
Come
Stand in my shoes
Come walk where I have been
Come see through my eyes
Come see all that I have seen
If you could wear my skin
If you could feel all I have felt
If you could feel the words spoken in my ears
If you could feel all the pain my hearts been dealt
Take all I have experienced
Take my memories and make them yours
Take all the cuts
All the bruises
Take all the wounds from my private unseen wars
Let my tears fill your eyes
Let them overflow and fall
Let the hard floor be your comfort
Let no one hear
Let no one come
No one at all
Love will be elusive
Love will not be for you
No matter how hard you work
No matter how sincere
How loyal
How true
You will be the one at fault
You will be the one who is wrong
You will need to turn the other cheek
You will be forced to be strong
You will see others rise with ease
You will see them look on uncaring as you fall
You will see them float by on gilt edged clouds
While you beg
While you crawl
When you need it most
You will find no shade and shelter
Only barren desert
Cutting rocks and scorching sun
You will be left to bleed
To thirst
To swelter
All the fruitless struggles
All the desperate prayers
All the bitter midnight tears
All the times you took the blame to keep the peace
All the pain
All those years
Run where I have run
Where I went searching for relief
Sleep where I have slept
Where I lay immobilised with grief
Stumble over the questions
The unanswerable mysteries of my life
Some things will never be understood
Some memories will always cut through like a knife
If you could stand in my shoes
If you could wear my skin
If you could see through my eyes
If you could be where I have been
Then
You would understand
Then you could empathise
Then you would forbear your judgement
Then you would feel more keenly the need to wipe tears from others eyes
You would laugh loud, and as often as you can
You would hug
And love
And hold dear
You would accept only what is real
What is given without pretence
Without hesitation
Without fear
For love has no fear
Love is honest, it does not fake
Love listens, it is sincere
It heals and protects
Love lets itself be nailed to a stake
Love lifts up, holds and carries
Love deals in reason, truth and fact
Love will not turn a back to those in need
Love will not hesitate to act
Experience is a great teacher
In the loving it produces still more love
It causes buds of patience to flower in humble hearts
It opens discerning eyes to see the wisdom from above
So forbear
Forbear to judge
Forbear to criticise
Forbear until you’ve stood in their shoes
Until you’ve worn their skin
Until you’ve listened with their ears
Until you’ve seen their world
Through their eyes
Rach
2014
“But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you also look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God… Therefore, let us not judge one another any longer but, rather, be determined not to put a stumbling block or an obstacle before a brother.”
– Romans 14:10, 13
“If only I may grow: firmer, simpler, quieter, warmer.”
– Dag Hammarskjold
“It’s not enough to have a dream,
Unless you’re willing to pursue it.
It’s not enough to know what’s right,
Unless you’re strong enough to do it.
It’s not enough to learn the truth,
Unless you also learn to live it.
It’s not enough to reach for love,
Unless you care enough to give it.”
– Anon
Breathe & Burn 
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