All We Have

There’s no hope,
you know,

except for the hope we make 
in spite of hopelessness.

It’s an action verb no matter
what grammar claims for it. So:

as much of a cliche
as it is — there’s no depth

to the observation
as it is, we can only

add depth through
pure and bright work —

we are responsible 
for our hope as much as

for breathing clean air
and drinking clean water

and protecting them both
as we can.  The idea of hope

unpolluted by despair
is all we have as we are all we have.

We hope. We must, we have,
we will, we will have hoped

regardless of outcome. And if
and when hope requires us

to act, we will act, we act, we will
be able to say we acted. We hope

to have acted. We hope
it will work.