Defining Hope

Emily Dickinson:

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 chilliest landAnd on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

Hope:

intransitive verb 1: to cherish a desire with anticipation
transitive verb 2: to desire with expectation of obtainment
3: to expect with confidence

Is a hope something outside of ourselves? A belief in the supernatural? An atheist's God?Though some claim it so, I will refer to hope as a very grounded, human power that allows us to keep moving and going about our days even in the face of powerlessness and despair.

Hope:
1: Whatever you make it.
2: What wakes you up in the morning.
3: What keeps you awake at night.
4: Love.
5: Power.