The Breath of Hope

Betsy Joseph

February 2, 2025

Hope arises in the tiniest of spaces,

in little seen places where despair sets up home.

It shines through all the darkened shades,

sends dust motes swirling through open windows,

restores resilience within a sagging structure.

Once outdoors its gaze turns upward

at the heartening promise of unbroken sky.

Its courage quickens, its spirit lifts;

and though the weight of hope is light,

hope does not doubt its own strong might

and smoothly sails on the sweet breath of calm.

Betsy Joseph lives in Dallas and has poems which have appeared in a number of journals and anthologies. She is the author of two poetry books published by Lamar University Literary Press: Only So Many Autumns (2019) and most recently, Relatively Speaking (2022), a collaborative collection with her brother, poet Chip Dameron. In addition, she and her husband, photographer Bruce Jordan, have produced two books, Benches and Lighthouses, which pair her haiku with his black and white photography.