Peace within the Ruins

"A poem about the healing powers of love"

I myself am in ruins

Crumbled and desolate

Worn down by time and by pain

And oh

How ugly I'd be

If it weren't for the flowers that crawl up my spine

The vines that cascade like fingers down my arms

The garden that blooms when she looks at me

She's the sunlight that falls down in slants through the chips in my skin

The flowers that blossom in this ruin of me

And yes

I am made mostly of shadows

Numb

And cold

And fragile

But there is light

A radiant light that illuminates me like a dream

We are all structures that have rotted

With bones that fray and a tongue that creaks every time we open our mouths

Looking for someone to create peace within the ruins

That must be the constant condition of mankind

Distraught by life

Hoping love will save us from ourselves

But so rarely do we find a home in somebody else

But there's something that happens when she smiles

I smile

And it's not a fleeting thing

It's not a tired expression or a cheaply thrown together mask I bought for the illusion of joy

It's a smile that's genuine

A smile

That in someway

Says "I love you."

I think it's true

That we're all a little worn down

There's always something to hide

Be it pain

Or tears

Or love

But what is the purpose of life

If not to love and persevere?

I'm a woman in ruins

Frayed

And cracked

Anxious 

And reckless

Halfway afraid of love

And reaching out for it at the very same time

But from the cracks in my concrete skin

Flowers begin to grow

Shy daffodils

Longing roses

Blue Lilies with their heads bowed in grief

Rhododendrons

And sunflowers

And dandelions

All brought to life by the warmth of another human soul

Who created peace within the ruins

Reviews

[Gabriel]

This piece just, perfectly incapsulates what it means to be in love, or even just the mutual feeling of knowing you're there with somebody that cares about you, flaws and all. It's powerful metaphors run through the whole poem and make you think about what love is to you. I think it's beautiful to capture feelings like this in words that would otherwise go unspoken.

[Lillian Kirsch]

Indeed, my friend. True love is a rare beauty, but when you feel it, there's nothing more beautiful and breathtaking.