Trail of Tears, Part One

from The Dsiciplines of Existence, Part I: The Arts of the Ethos, Chapter One:  Genealogy

Suddenly, with bitter realization,
Long-held hopes and dreams lie shattered;
To pretend is no longer protections;
Survival demands more than delusion,
And hoping that the effort somehow mattered.

Carefully examining the course of the years,
She charts the high points and the lows;
Remembering the joys and the fears,
She retraces her steps on the Trail of Tears,
And, though exhausted, on she goes.

Somehow, all the years weren't wasted,
But she's not quite sure just why;
The memories leave her exhausted--
Too tired to calculate the costs,
Too tired to laugh or cry.

CWR  June 1986