Reaching

Sometimes, in dreams,

You reach for things,

Only to find they are not really there.

And you wake, and hold your pillow,

Your dog, your partner,

Just to remind yourself,

You are not alone in this world.

You go for a walk,

And hug a tree,

Or wave to a neighbor,

Who doesn’t wave back.

And you wonder,

Did our yard sign conflict with yours,

And create distance between us?

What do yard signs and banners really do?

We think they broadcast,

Our deeply held values.

But if they create further division,

From our connection to one another,

What purpose, really, has been served?

I reach for love,

Without barriers, to knit us all together,

To find joy and understanding,

Even with those with whom we disagree.

For we are all children,

We are all reaching for the next hand,

Or paw,

To hold.