Love is Helping Someone into the Light

Women’s History Month — Saint Teresa of Calcutta

I saw Mother Teresa, the lines on her face, the weariness in her eyes, feeling her gracious heart despite her being a statue

A saint stood before me who once sat with the dying, those who needed a hand to hold in the darkness of their deformity and disgrace —

neglected in the dusty caves of our fearful inhumanity — society is only willing to shame and separate

Death Cab for Cutie once sang love is watching someone die Love, too, is helping someone struggle to survive

and then offer one’s strengths — put a match to a candle and show a person the light

like Saint Teresa of Calcutta — present for the hopeless, courageous for the crucified — not willing to ignore their cries.

© 2022 Mark Tulin

Mother Teresa was an Albanian-Indian Catholic nun and missionary (1910–1997).

Here’s another poem by Mark Tulin: