THE JEWEL
CATRIN HOL
the different stages of life’s journey shape our souls into the final gem
the jewel the shining light like the light in a newborn’s eyes
the prize of life beyond all price
and it is quite simply the real us
without the stress the fuss the pressure
the hold your breath and try to pass the test
in jest with your friends while inside you bend and break
and every one of us deep down knows a pain of some description
you don’t know the wounds of the other who stands before you
who are you to judge assess their stress at best you can only guess
if you knew the inner truth the things they’ve faced and faced up to
you might be amazed impressed and feel respect
but actually you don’t know you won’t know the wounds of another
no matter how close a brother or sister
there are some things none of us can express
or choose not to or just feel that nobody cares
or that it’s just not right to bare it all
and so we bear it all in unbearable silence
and I think most of us have been through something like this
and underestimate the rest of us as if they won’t relate to it
but of course we do we’ve been through it too
we are way more alike than different
us humans
we share our humanity
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Catrin Hol is half Dutch, half English, but has made Cork, Ireland, her home. As a musician she has a feeling for the melody and rhythm of words. “The Jewel is about the struggle to understand and forgive each other. The multitudes facing the same challenge.”