She Would

She would fight.
Harder than she thought she could.
Longer than anyone expected her to.
Every day she would push
Back against the walls that held her
Testing their limits.
She would fight.

She would cry.
In grief, for the people she loved.
In joy, for the life she lived.
In despair, for everything she’d lost.
The tears would fall like rain.
More tears than she’d ever expected to shed.
She would cry.

She would laugh
Every worry and tear away.
Everything would be okay
Because she knew who she was
And that knowledge gave her joy.
She would laugh.

She would mourn.
For the poor man, for the soldier, for the lost and the lonely.
Every sorrow would be hers to bear.
Every pain hers to share.
She would mourn.

She would struggle.
Nothing would ever break her
Not the jeering nor the anger nor the doubters.
Her strength would never falter.
She would struggle.

She would love.
Every heart would be hers to hold.
Every heart to be cared for by her gentle hands.
Not an ounce of it would be held back
Because it was all she had to give.
She would love.