When was gentleness
Labeled a weakness
What entity decided control and restraint
Lacked anything
Beyond brute force
I have witnessed first hand
Expert surgeons lift
A corneal flap with precision
(I have even tried my hand at it
On a cadaver pig eye)
Of a dozen people
I was the only one
Who did not tear the delicate fold of transparent tissue
One third of our capacity for sight
Encompassed in a few
Millimetres of cells
Ultimate power wielded
Through feather touch
Will determine vision’s clarity
For life’s duration
When I think of gentleness
This memory serves
As my lighthouse
My compass
The span of my years
Will be guided by this philosophy
No harm has been done
By my gentleness
Kindness has done damage
Without meaning to
Good intentions do not always
Yield a helpful result
Well-meaning hearts can still
Be ignorant
Gentleness resides in the hands
A baby blue jay scooped
From the road to rest on a branch
Tempering Bashir’s bite
To inflict no injury
Tiny paint brush strokes
Complete final touches
Pulling raspberries from canes
Without squishing the prize
Is not the most sensual pleasure
Enacted by fingertips
Take back your censure
Of my self-possession
Otherwise I will challenge you
To withstand my caress
Once gone
You will cry out for its loss
Then you will understand
Gentle’s reign
Over life’s bliss
About the Creator
Aspen Marie
In love with life and all of its foibles.
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Comments (6)
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This is so beautiful and heartfelt with both the scientific facts and the emotions. I love how you combine the two! And such a great picture 😊
Fabulous 🍀🍀🍀
This was absolutely gorgeous—strong and tender in the same breath! I love the picture! 💖
Lovely written
Oooo, I learned a new word from you, censure! Loved your poem
Allow everything to happen! Allow yourself to take the wrong path, to misjudge people, to allow the ones you love not to love you back, to allow your work to make things difficult for you. You should allow yourself to put in a lot of effort but get no result, allow everything to happen, accept everything that happens, and you will be invincible