Sacrificial Heart

 

i told my secrets into your cupped hands,
you poured them back into my wounds
like a salve
and used your hair as gauze
wrapped about my body
to caress the scars my hiding created –

because all these tears have dried into
salt stains of hieroglyphs on my chest,
i thought it impossible for myself
to communicate their worth –
but you came and deciphered everything
that was once so guarded, so obscure
 
despite losing myself long ago
in the crowded streets of my busy mind
thinking there’s no return-
you guided me with the glimmer of your eyes,
saying there are treasure maps to greater worth,
greater than I could ever surmise,

so i set them in the sky to guide
other wayward travelers

because my soul was empty and desolate,
the hard wood floors creaked cold like blisters,
the windows stood bare, staring out
everyone looking in at my squalor - -
you furnished the place with happiness
and gave me curtains of secret smiles,
fountains of endless joy

because I handed all my illusions over to you
In a big cardboard box, marked fragile,
you sorted through, saying this – this one we can do,
and this one we’ll leave, you organized my life
and dreams according to your redeeming principles of love
and understanding

 

here, i gathered all the birds of the world
and taught them to sing your name,
they will reside in my rib cage and
i will release a new one every day—

I’ve caught some purpose on my tongue
like color on a flower blossom,
cut the stems and pruned the leaves,
to place in a vase in your honor, forever,
on the mantle of my heart...

Now I have aviary arteries and botanical viscera,
I have a soul to call home and the route to get to it,
I am healed and understood,
I wish I could offer you more, than
Just these empty words, but my love
Is the releasing of singing birds

Reviews

[Markymark]

I see that I am a day late and a dollar short on reviewing this piece as it is at least three years old, but it is a wonderful write and i am lucky to have stumbled upon it. I suppose it was written to someone in particular, but in my mind as I read it, the resounding recipient of the praise in this piece was to my redeemer.

Great ink--

Mark

[Bette]

absolutely wonderful poem of hope and love...very good.

[Chris Bighorse]

Amazing. I've always loved your work and continue to do so. I've no sort of helpful suggestions except one piece.

'Salt stains of hieroglyphs on my chest' was a little awkward in the reading and in my mind, hieroglyphic salt stains seems easier to process.

But really, this piece is amazing either way. Very moving and rich with imagery.

[Sarajane]

wow. amazing. theres no other word for it. i really like the way you write

here, i gathered all the birds of the world
and taught them to sing your name,
they will reside in my rib cage and
i will release a new one every day�

beautiful way to word it

Sj

[Tanikia Brown Myspace.c..]

You use sharp imagery when you write I like that

[Ismael Rodriguez Jr.]

This piece is just loaded with lush vivid imagery.

[Salvadorkali]

dude, this was so lushly lyrical

hard not to be impressed with its tightness...professional, indeed

yes, a hot drop!

[John Destalo]

This is really beautiful with amazing imagery. It has a real power to expand the imagination and make me think and see things I hadn't thought before. Really first rate professional work. The second stanza is perfect in every way.