Joseph Ranseth
Resident Poet
My brother,
What do you know to be true, first hand?
This is what I want to hear about.
This is the you I want to get to know.
I don’t care what you’ve read,
I don’t care what you believe
I want to hear of the truth you’ve
earned the hard way,
the only way true knowledge
is ever gained,
direct through experience
Tell me what is embedded deep in your soul,
because its gotten there through your hands
getting dirty in the work,
from being deep in the trenches of life
I want to hear of what you’ve seen with your own eyes,
The beauty you’ve discerned when
everything has fallen apart and
the only thing everyone else can see is rubble
Yes, I want to know the parts of you
that you’ve gotten to see for yourself first hand,
because you haven’t shied away.
I want to see the fruit of your courage,
the reward of your bravery,
the payoff of your self-mastery,
the fruit of your commitment,
for this is the only foundation
upon which our relationship
is truly built
Brother,
show me who you are
I want to witness the wholeness you’ve witnessed in yourself
That is your true beauty, and the source of your strength
