Awakening unfolds incrementally, slowly,
One single nerve at a time, slowly regaining sensation
Filling the numb, empty spaces of our souls with signs of rebirth.
No one warns us that the process of thawing out traumatized hearts
Begins with more suffering than relief,
When the sting of reality surging through deserted nerves
Wrenches us loose from the safety of emotional emptiness
Into a visceral awareness of our deepest wounds.
How wonderful it would be to skip over the tedious parts of healing
When we must pluck out hundreds of splinters lodged into our hearts
One-by-one, carefully bandaging each puncture with promises to self
To be kinder, gentler, wiser next time.
As the hollow nerves come to life again,
As our punctured hearts heal,
There will be pain, both cathartic and unbearable
Yet in that pain there will be transformation
As our minds begin to synchronize logical truth with the depth of our feelings
Grieving what must be grieved so that we may finally let go
Of the splinters and thorns keeping us from forward movement.
May we love our wounded hearts and souls
As they strive to mend
And may we invite what is wholesome and nurturing
Into these darkened days, into our melancholy spirits
Until we have reason again to keep breathing.
The Therapy of Words 