All
is a lot.
If I love you with all of my heart,
my soul, my mind,
what is left over?
What happens to that piece that I keep inside –
you know, the jagged-edged sliver of mirror glass
stored deep under dark waters –
what happens if I use that to love you?
If I take it out, turn it over,
let the light shatter
its shiny, brittle surface –
what will survive?
Can I love you
with all of my heart,
and soul, and mind,
and live?
About Rosalind C Hughes
Rosalind C Hughes is an Episcopal priest, poet, and author living near the shores of Lake Erie. After growing up in England and Wales, and living briefly in Singapore, she is now settled in Ohio. Rosalind is the author of A Family Like Mine: Biblical Stories of Love, Loss, and Longing , and Whom Shall I Fear? Urgent Questions for Christians in an Age of Violence, both from Upper Room Books. She loves the lake, misses the ocean, and is finally coming to terms with snow.
over the water 
I’m glad I came across this poem, the phrasing is simple yet elegant. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I’ve been asking this question of myself and the ladies in my Bible study group.
Now I’m inverting the question, Can I live without loving you with all of my heart,soul , mind- is a life lived without that depth of love really living?
The risk is transformation. The hope is transformation! But sometimes hope is risky …