No pain, no gain

Picture your back, she said,
as a wooded shoreline,
and with each breath,
imagine
new green shoots of wonder
growing there:
flourishing, healthy.
And, she said, after a pause,
with each breath out
the dead branches and the rocks
are loosening up
and falling into the sea.


But wait, I thought --
if all the rocks
were to fall into the sea,
the hillside would be gone,
and with it the trees,
who'd have no place
to spread their roots.

At last, she said;
at last you see -- we need the pain
to keep us grounded,
to keep us rooted in our bodies.
Pain has much to teach us:
Don't run away, but sit --
sit and listen for the lessons.
Breathe in those new green shoots
and let them root and grow
in what you learn.