It Won’t Let You Fall

Stephanie Law

*

You must not be frightened

if a sadness

rises in front of you,

larger than any you have ever seen;

if an anxiety,

like light and cloud-shadows,

moves over your hands and over

everything you do.

You must realize that something is happening to you,

that life has not forgotten you,

that it holds you in its hand

and will not let you fall.

— Rainer Maria Rilke

*

The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you’ve said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it.

That’s the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear.

— Stephen King

*

It’s a really odd thing that we’re now seeing people saying “write down three things…