Hope is quieter than fear

hope is often so much quieter than our fear.

you have to really listen closely

to actually hear the voice of hope.

hope is the whisper

between screams

hope is the nearly inaudible

sound of your tears drying

on the rose of your cheek

hope is the hushed wind passing

through a tall Wyoming pine

hope is the noise of you

softly exhaling while

looking for the Divine

in the mirror

hope is the sound of stars winking

at us from across the cosmos

~hope is the babbling river

~hope is the snoring baby

~hope is the thumping heartbeat

hope is the lightly

beeping hospital monitor

hope is the sound

of butterfly wings

moving in the spring

hope is the noise ice

makes as it melts on a lake

hope is the gentle scratching of

a flower as it claws its way

out of the earth to sunbathe

hope is never loud

hope is never fussy

hope is never announced

- in fact, you might miss hope’s

arrival if you’re not listening for it

hope is more gentle piano

than it is blaring saxophone

hope is humble

hope is stealthy

hope doesn’t

wear a name tag

hope is so often so silent

but that what

makes hope so

powerful

because it can

surprise us at a moments notice

hope is always present

it’s the beat between musics notes

it’s the lips smack before the kiss

it’s the deep breath before the eulogy

hope is the quiet voice of Love

that is endlessly begging us to

not surrender to the crawling shadows

and the voice is always

saying the same thing:

“Hold on, my love, hold on, my love.”

if you give it a moment of silence

you will find that hope is a real

chatter box

it won’t stop talking to you

if you let it get started

hope is everywhere

even in places where

you won’t expect to find it

~it’s in your rushing blood

~it’s in your unfolding wrinkles

~it’s in your hushed grief

hope is relentless

amid the noise of

this clanging world

just listen

I swear,

my love,

if you just listen

to the whispering hope

that surrounds you

I swear

you’ll never give up again

(John Roedel)

~ Art by the wonderful Akira Kusaka Illustration

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Come and join a community of Unafraid storytellers. ❤️

I have writing retreats/events being set up all across the country up as well as a couple opportunities in Europe.

I have some new online opportunities just announced as well!

Come listen and write down the lyrics to the music of your life at one of my events next year!

Follow this link for more details: https://www.johnroedel.com/events