BY MY TEARS-THE ART OF CRYING

While surfing my facebook, Timi, a schoolmate and friend of mine tagged me in one of her notes. I was really moved by the poem that it really made me cry so hard...not that I have no reason to. But sadly, I was in the crying move that night due to some unfortunate discriminating event against a senior citizen who is close to my heart...Not only was I crying, but I was also stressed out.

BY MY TEARS

By: Timi Stoop-Alcala

"This is my program:

Let us all weep.”

--Kenneth Patchen

The world has not wept enough.

Yes, we have cried for reason’s demise

Or reason itself turned cold and cruel

We have wailed for lives cut short,

For hearts that beat without spirit,

We have cursed each season upturned,

The death of leaves, the fall of mountains –

Why do our species define

history and peace as contradictions?

With righteous anger,

We tremble at injustice, and yet

We summon wars as much as we train heroes.

We are relentless, without limits

Like a catastrophe

And we punish ourselves for this terrible,

Implacable destiny.

We torture ourselves for conjuring destinies

That destroy those who seek them.

But we have not wept enough.

The night’s disquiet is more piercing than our mourning.

Suffering is still greater than our sadness.

So, I propose:

Let us weep until we cannot.

Let us weep so hard

that we cannot turn our back to the other

without touching, without sharing,

without being shaken by our capacity for despair.

Let us take pride in our weeping,

And weave these tears into our skin,

That laughter becomes a memory,

And happiness a dream.

Maybe then,

We shall call destiny, hope.

Love, our evolution.

I shall begin with myself.

By my tears, my love shall know me.

I used to cry when I was a kid. My teachers and classmates in school used to call me a baby. When I was growing up, I was oriented that unable to cry is a sign of strength. Crying is a sign of weakness. But as I mature, I learned that crying is part of human nature, synonymous to breathing, walking, or eating...If we control my emotions, I cannot breathe. Sometimes, inability to express oneself thru crying makes a person sick. That's why nowadays, young people, especially professionals are having health problems due to stress and emotional imbalance. Therefore, it is fitting to cry especially when the need arises. It's good for the health.

When I'm hurt...I cry

When my father passed away...I cry

When I'm frustrated...I cry

When I had an illness...I cried

When I pray for strength...I cry to GOD

Because He wash away my tears