“You Are Not Falling”

A poem by Shelly Moore Caron

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You are not failing.
You are falling — yes —
but not into death.
Into depth.

Into the part of yourself
that has no words left,
only breath.
Only ache.
Only open hands.

Let this grief be holy.
Let the fatigue be sacred.
You are not meant to rise every time.

Sometimes,

the only healing
is in letting yourself be held –
by darkness,

by silence,
by the echo of your own ancient name.

This is not the end.
This is the womb.
And you are becoming
again.

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