As a toddler
He yearned to right wrongs
A drowning honey bee
Stung his hand
Why would the bee sting me, he cried, while I saved its life?

As a young man
He yearned to right wrongs
Heart beneath army gear
Unimaginable horrors
We did things as boys, he confessed, that we can’t live with as men

As a veteran
He yearned to right wrongs
Bi-polar, PTSD
Inward battles raging
Where is our son? I asked, Will he ever smile again?

As a river guide
He yearned to excel
Mercy trumping justice
Inward battles ceasing
Our son is home! We rejoiced, Look, he’s alive again!

As an adventurer
He yearned for a place
To make a real difference
He settled in Guatemala
I don’t deserve, he told me, all this goodness.

In the wake of his drowning
His yearnings have ceased
But mine increased
For mercy and love
How is it, I wonder, that sorrow and beauty magnify each other?