Come In

surrender
who you thought
was knocking at your door.

karma brings
more than one type
of gift,

and they aren't always perfectly wrapped
or properly labelled.

you might have been waiting
for a suitor
to come around
asking your name,

but instead
you found someone insufferable
lacking symmetry or
grace.

how much can we learn
if we only court
the pieces of life that burst
into radiance?

if the world was simply dazzling
we'd have little work to do.

turns out,
the work is endless,

and each suitor that passes by
is meant for our love.

if another door opens it means one is closing.
 
we all prefer
the picture window view,

but the flowers making us swoon
are all the more beautiful because
of the storm clouds

now drifting away
to water someone else's garden.

we are all nourished by the rain
even if we don't like getting wet.

but in each person is the ability to cultivate appreciation
for thunder and lightening strikes
just as we savour
the calm before the storm,

and in the silence
when we hear
the knock
on our door

the only way to respond
is to open.

before we see their face
before we know
if they are asking a favour
or bearing a gift,

we sense their humanity
and welcome them in.