Just

'Just' implies it's little

'Just' implies it's small

'Just' suggests it's really

Nothing very much at all

Just a joke, just one bad day

And just a drop of rain

"It's just a cut, a tiny scratch

So why are you in pain?"

"It's just a little game"

And "can you talk for just a minute?"

But 'just' can be the thing

That pushes something to its limit

'Cause drops of rain are more than 'just'

When there are millions more

When every drop keeps inching water

Closer to your door

A cut is always more than 'just'

When you're already bleeding;

When every scratch reminds you

That you're further now from healing

A minute's never just a minute

When you're running late

And when expecting news

But all that you can do is wait

It's not just one bad day

When it has been a month or two

And it's not just a joke

When you find out the joke's on you

'Cause 'just' sounds oh-so-little

So it often serves to shrink,

To lessen what we feel,

What we experience and think

But if we're not familiar

With another person's feelings;

If we can't say for sure

If they are hurting or they're healing

If we don't know the nature

Of the things that have drawn blood

If we assume they're swimming

Whilst they're drowning in the flood

If we do not know how much time

Somebody else has got

Or how deep all their wounds might run

From all the things they've lost

It might be wise to listen

Whilst they're crying through the rain

And not dismiss their bleeding

When they're talking through their pain

And it might be wise to recognise

That 'just' for us is small

Whilst it might be 'just' the thing

That pushes them so far,

                                           they fall

*****

Becky Hemsley 2025