Several years ago, I went through the painful experience of divorce — a time marked by profound loss and pain. Yet amid that suffering, I found myself overwhelmed by a deep and abiding love for everyone and everything. In the midst of my grief, I wrote a reflection exploring the themes of pain, loss, and faith, drawing a parallel between my own journey and the suffering of Jesus on the cross. This poem is born from that reflection, a meditation on enduring love and loneliness, and the hope found in surrendering pain to a greater purpose.
At the Foot of the Cross
In shadows deep, I stand alone,
A silent witness, heart unknown,
To love so fierce, so pure, so true,
Yet pain and longing pierce me through.
Jesus, on the cross, forsaken,
A love so vast, and so unshaken,
You bore the weight of every ache,
For love’s pure gift, for love’s own sake.
I feel the ache of love unreturned,
Of friendships lost, of bridges burned,
Yet still I strive to love anew,
To give my heart, to see it through.
Why do you teach me to love so deep,
With tissues few, tonight I weep.
For joy and sorrow intertwine,
In love’s divine, relentless vine.
Help me, Lord, to understand,
To trust your guiding gentle hand,
To love without expectation’s chain,
To find your peace amid the pain.
May I, like you, felt left behind,
Yet stand strong with heart and mind.
Trust Your love, forever bright,
Find Your grace in darkest night.
At the foot of the cross I pray,
To learn to love, come what may,
To surrender all I hold dear,
And find you ever, ever near.
