Both at Once

April 25th challenge

from orbit earth seems in a state of grace
on ground that state is more like agony
an ambiguity so bittersweet
how can the two exist inside the one
i long for some cosmic epiphany
and then i drink the coffee from my cup

So smooth the glass from which is made my cup
it's curves remind me of the dancer's grace
and as it falls there comes epiphany
concurrent with a slivered agony
so many shards descended from the one
the taste of blood is hot and bittersweet

the cry of life at birth is bittersweet
and how such fullness from so small a cup
the noise of many emanates from one
the father prays that God will grant the grace
he needs to bear exquisite agony
as daughter's life blooms through epiphany

Some light some dark in each epiphany
the rare one doesn't taste of bittersweet
and bring with it some sense of agony
that adds the salt of tears into your cup
a toast which bears humility and grace
your stifled fire reserved to strike the one

what will you do when chance to strike the one
delivered like that dark epiphany
a sharpened blade wielded with strength and grace
or passed unused and swallow bittersweet
regret remaining in your loving cup
unsure of future joy or agony

was it more than transient agony
resultant from the sparing of the one
whose reckless greed begets the shattered cup
and with it once again epiphany
that all experience is bittersweet
and can, nay, should be borne with simple grace

it's ever fresh, the one epiphany
the shattered cup brimmed with the bittersweet
is both at once the agony and grace