When I In Silent Moments Ponder Life

When I in silent moments ponder life And think of all the suffering I see, I can’t but weep because of all the strife, And wish for how this thing and that should be. But in so wishing all the more my pain Increases still as though to test my will-- How far I’d bear this grief yet to retain A sense of hope amidst a world of ill. While in this rueful state I think of you, Your charming smile, pure heart, and innocence; What joy I feel inspires me to push through In spite of all that don’t make any sense. A Light and Reason in a dark abyss: You are to me like Dante's Beatrice*. *In Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, Beatrice is a symbol of Divine Love and serves as his guide in Paradiso. April 4, 2023 Baguio City