Just today

I don't want to read the news today.
I don't want to think about the awful pain in the world.
I can't bear another gunshot or another painful thought
Not today.

Today, I want to remember my Mother's voice.
I want to remember my Grandmother's wisdom.
I want to remember what it feels like to stroke a kitten,
to have the love of an old sweet gentle dog.

Today, I want to remember the precious friends I had,
the comfort and love they gave me,
the fun and friendship we shared --- the laughter that
echoes from the past and makes me smile.

Today, I want to remember the green loveliness of England,
the wonderful people of Italy, and the olive trees of Greece.
I want to remember my dear David in Israel who made me a gold ring,
Is he still alive or did they kill him?

Today, I want to listen not to the news but to  the music
of the masters, Beethoven, Chopin, and Tchaikovsky
 ---
to read the words of Shakespeare, Keats, and Frost.
These things make me forget my pains, hurts, and struggles.

Today, I want to live in the world I love  ---
made up of those who have survived pain, hurt, and struggles
through divine devotion to
their words, their music, and their art.

For it is through these things of eternal beauty
from which we find our healing -
from which we garner our renewal and strength.
And from where we hear the divine voice of God.