Mercy Responds

Lay your heavy head upon my breast,
soft like the clouds
rising and falling with the wind.
Wrapped in gentle arms, let me hold
your sighing,
sad,
shuddering body
wracked by
unshed tears
and long-held lies
that pain with surfacing newness.
Hear my heartbeat,
rhythmic and slow,
beating for you.
A lullaby lulling
your
restless
heart.

These years of silent stoicism-
receding sorrow of salty tears like waves of the ocean
before a tsunami.
Feel our hot tears
mixing,
gathering on your hair and cheeks,
rushing
unrelenting while purging the wasteland.

Weep not, nor mourn your burden alone
in the dark, cold, world
devoid of sympathy for the weary.
Come.
Weep, wail, cry, mourn, sorrow in my ear
as my hands, caressing your features tenderly,
soothe your sobs to whimpers;
and then you rise.