To Love Life

The thing isto love life, to love it evenwhen you have no stomach for it,and everything you've held dearcrumbles like burnt paper in your hands,your throat filled with the silt of it…Then you hold life like a facebetween your palms, a plain face,no charming smile, no violet eyes,and you say, yes, I will take youI will love you again.                                            --               Ellen Bass