There is a helpless kind of pain in watching someone you care about carry the whole world on their shoulders, while your hands remain empty. You see the tiredness in their eyes, you feel the weight they are holding, but you know you are not the one they lean on and so you stand back, loving them from a distance, offering the only thing you truly can: your heart, and your prayers.
Hands That Cannot Reach
I see the shadows underneath your eyes,
The way your shoulders bow beneath the weight.
You give so much to help me rise and thrive,
Yet carry all your burdens, still and straight.
I wish I had the strength to pull you close,
To take some load and make the journey light.
But I am not the one you chose to lean on,
Not the safe harbour where you rest at night.
You were the one who held me when I broke,
Who smoothed the edges of my weary soul.
Now all I have to give are quiet prayers,
Wishes whispered where the stars unfold.
May peace find you when you are all alone,
May someone come to help you bear the strain.
Whatever weighs so heavy on your heart,
May you not have to carry it in pain.
I cannot fix it, and I cannot stay,
Right by your side to walk this path you choose.
But every breath I take will hold this hope:
That you will find the rest you never lose.
To my dearest friend, who has been my strength when I had none. Thank you. It hurts that I cannot be the one to return the favour in the way you deserve, but please know that you are never truly alone in this. Even from afar, I am cheering for you, and my prayers are with you every single moment. May your heart find its calm, and may your shoulders finally know what it feels like to be free.