Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Recalled to Life

[image from robertarood.wordpress.com]

Written for the prompt: Recalled to Life

In childhood,
gentle heart
shattered by violence
and drunkeness,
retreating
into numbness,
making my way
through,

certainly at risk
of making
a too-soon marriage
to escape,
hoping
to create
a home.

Marriage
was a cage
so small,
it took
a jackhammer
and sheer
desperation
to blow
my way out.

But
before
my spirit
even
had time to rise,
a vulture arrived,
and I was
his prey.

This time,
my heart
retreated
into the
frozen wasteland
of a Siberian
winter.
No one
 - but no one -
other than
my kids
was going to
get back in.

Then, one day
in summer,
I walked in the door
of a coffeehouse
full of gentle folk,
beings who
lived
gently
on the earth,
whom I had known
were out there
somewhere,
for whom
I had been
searching
for so long.

I knew
right away
that I was home.
But it took some time
to relearn trust.

I read The Desiderata,
crying
as I read the words:
"You are a child
of the universe.
No less than the moon
and the stars,
you have
a right
to be here."
I had not
known that.

The gentle, loving people
 accepted me.
They gave me space
just to be.
They did not
push.
They let me
feel safe.
In the warmth
of their sunlight,
the wasteland
slowly
began to melt.
My petals
began,
rather painfully,
to unfurl.
I began
to grow,
and then,
in time,
to glow.
My life-song
began
to sing
again.
Hope
had arrived,
and dreams,
and so much
laughter.

From the sad
and
painful past,
from abuse,
degradation
and betrayal,
from the imprisonment
of my spirit
to full and
glorious flight,
I was,
from that time forward,
recalled to life.

8 comments:

  1. Oh Sherry that was wonderful, I love how you took your reader through all those stages with you. (I'm so glad that your petals unfurled.)

    "I began
    to grow,
    and then,
    in time,
    to glow.
    My life-song
    began
    to sing
    again.
    Hope
    had arrived,
    and dreams,
    and so much
    laughter."

    Those words are so inspirational.

    I loved this. x

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  2. Sherry, so glad you were recalled to life after overcoming so much. What beautiful writing!

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  3. A true return to life. I'm so glad you made it.

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  4. Such a searching poem, so real as it's written from the heart. There is no keeping a good woman down, and the strength and honesty of this poem proves it.

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  5. You are a survivor, a spirited woman will strength and determination to continue~
    I love your words, so happy you are on this journey and you found your people~
    It takes time to find ourselves, our path.
    Happy your spirit and petals grew~! Wonderful writing~xXx

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  6. I lost my comment. You are so beautiful....so courageous, and strong. An inspiration! Thank you for the post.

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  7. It was a touching poem sherry..I could visualize the whole scene.Thank you...the end was full of hope

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  8. Sherry, I am so glad you made it.
    I hope someday you get to go back to
    the beach. I feel your heart is there.

    Pamela

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