It is comes only when invited,
and invitations are not always deliberate.
Sometimes pain swells up in waves,
sometimes it's a sudden spasm in the chest,
of overwhelming proportions,
that makes us look away and wonder,
why does it torture us when the sun is out,
when the birds sing and the wind provokes.
But it still stops us right in our tracks,
floods the mind with memories once forgotten,
beauty dies while the soul comes forth.
Pain is merciless,
it taps your shoulder while you least expect,
while expectations are the highest,
it reminds us of impermanence,
that only fools believe in happiness.
Pain is constant,
a companion for eternity,
one we carry in our chests and still smile,
to separate the light from the darkness,
to love harder and breathe a little slower.
Pain is us,
it's in the birds we looked away from,
it's in the sunshine we hide away from,
it's in the wind whispering that it knows you,
it's you and me and all the lives between us.
