‘Without Love’ a poem by Karen Campbell

‘Without Love’ is a poem by Karen Campbell, ̽»¨ÉçÇø Secretary for Global and Intercultural Ministries, for Racial Justice Sunday which this year falls on Valentine’s Day, 14 February.

To mark the day,ÌýGlobal and Intercultural Ministries has collated a number of resources to help people reflect on ‘What kind of love?’ – its theme for Racial Justice Sunday. The resources include a sermon, reflections, poetry and hymns. They are stand-alone or interlinked and can be accessed via the GIM webpage

Ìý

Without Love

Without love, I can live,
But I will not thrive.
I will not reach my full potential.
I will not feel safe,
Or valued,
Or know the security
Of true belonging.
I will not be at ease –
In this place or that –
Or in my own skin.

Without love, I can live,
But restless, wandering –
Where being me is not enough,
And I am coerced to become
Someone else.
But who?

Without love, I can live,
But I cannot just ‘be’;
I cannot fully appreciate nor take
My place
In the give and take
And wonder of life.

Then, I am robbed of myself –
And so is the world.

Without love, I can live,
But how can I know
How to love…

Love life
Love others
Or love myself?

I can live without love.
But what kind of life?

 

© Karen Campbell

Image: Andrew Seaman/Unsplash