On Hope's Broken Wing
When you lose hope, when you no longer trust in God, life can become pretty sad. No matter where you are or what you look at, you may not be able to see beyond the sadness when hope is gone. Life can become discouraging and you may find yourself feeling disheartened. But, Mary C. Ryan's poem inspires and reminds us to trust God!
When hope feels fragile and life seems heavy, trusting God can lift the heart and help us rise again.
Updated January 13, 2026, by Catherine Pulsifer
The first stanza of this poem talks about what happens if we lost hope. The joy we experience leaves us and we feel very down. Even music that would uplift us now makes
us sad when our hope vanishes. And, with no hope, our life can be like a garden that once bloomed, but now sits under winter snow.
The second stanza reminds us how much God's love surrounds us all. Even the birds have the sense of God's love. This stanza reminds us of the Bible verse, Matthew 6:26 (NIV): "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow
or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" The point is that if God cares for the birds then He most certainly cares for us and we can be hopeful.
The third stanza talks how the beauty of a lily in bloom and how the hand of God provides even for the flowers.
The fourth stanza reflects upon putting our trust in God, going to Him in prayer will result in a peace that is like no other. With God in our lives, our hope lives!
May this poem remind you to keep your hope high and not let it rest on a broken wing.
On Hope's Broken Wing
On hope's broken wing my spirit once fell.
From joy's sunny heights to great depths of woe;
And music's sweet strains in sadness did swell,
Life's garden of flowers was covered with snow.
But a bright little bird sang of God's love,
"I, even I, to the ground can not fall,
Without the care of the Father above;,
He careth for me, for He loveth all."
My eyes then beheld a lily in bloom;
From her heart of gold she whispered to me:
"I sow and reap not, I dread not the tomb,
The hand of my God provideth for me."
My soul then, in prayer, sought peace with its God,
The snow on life's garden melted away:
And my new heart seemed a beautiful sod
Where a sweet hope bloomed that ne'er will decay.
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Conclusion
This beautiful poem reminds us that even when hope feels weak and life seems covered in snow, God is still near. Through prayer, trust, and faith, the heaviness can lift and peace can return. Just as the poem shows, when we place our trust in God, hope is renewed and begins to bloom again in our hearts. May this poem encourage you to keep believing, even when your hope feels fragile.
More Mary C. Ryan Poems to Inspire
Hope grows stronger when we place our trust in God and rest in His loving care.