The duality of Hope

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

- E. Dickinson

Hope is the thing that sits on the back of the shelf-
Not alone nor forgotten-

Set aside for some later time when it will become better-

Used as faith instead.
Juxtaposed to the things found in your hands-

Alive rather than not.

Till one sees it behind some faded memory-

Both realized as rotten.
The dismay and regret color the scent of the sound-

Now that it's dead.

Now how could it be you did this to me-

And gave me only naught?

C. McConnell

Hope, is a wonderous and useful thing, and the death of it grieves the soul, yet it is also the thing that can bind us from taking the steps that are most necessary to move forward, holding out the hope that things can't get worse, or that they can or should get better, will stop one from taking action to actually fix or change the circumstances that are leading to destruction, just as that same hope can provoke action to put good into the world, or even just ones own life.

The secret to hope, is to foster it when it is all you have, and to bind it up when you have other options, but it is knowing which is the case, that is the most difficult to discern. Thus far I myself can only conclude that time and experience will guide you in learning how to figure that out, if only because it is how I have had to learn it, and if you are able to do so in another, less costly way, then you are a better person than I.