Forgive

Is your heart heavy laden with anger;
are you wounded by the pierce of a word
that was spoken with thought unregarded;
are you hurt by the things that you heard?

Do the sun and its rays all elude you;
do your eyes never light in a smile?
Are you plagued with a need to get even;
are your feelings as bitter as bile?

Then it’s time to let go of emotions
that afflict your mind and your soul,
and it’s time to start mending some fences,
with forgiveness your ultimate goal.

You may think that it’s hard to accomplish,
that your pride is too great to give in,
but the one who hangs on to resentment
is the one who never will win.

For the person who is the big winner
and the person who’s learned how to live
is not one who harbors ill feelings
but the one who has learned to forgive.

~Copyright © 2000 Ruth Gillis~

First published in the April 2000 issue of
The Inspirational Poet