A surprise question
on bended knee
an invitation to always be
a part of this family.
The wind’s caressing graze
on shaking hands
as cathedral bells ring
and beams of light
irradiate my favorite bridge.
We walk confidently
into our future
under the promise of
the one-hundred-year stone
now resting on my finger.
Butterflies spill out of your mouth
fluttering the flames of my fragile ego
you know how to cast me under your spell
and I, helpless,
am unable to break free of your grasp
and release myself from your claws
until I learned that your power
came not from you
but from the insecurities within myself.
Your hold on me
and what I thought was love and romance
and a lusty fairytale
was all an artful deception.
You taste of autumn and broken promises
and you made me a ghost of a woman.
But I can break free of these chains for I
and only I
have the radiant power to start anew
and to begin again.
You picked me up
like your favorite coffee cup
long forgotten
sitting at the back of the cupboard
a little worn, a little dusty.
A blue ceramic glaze
cool against your lips
as you take a sip
drink me in darling.
Nestled in your strong hands
I felt safe
I felt secure
until I slipped from your grip
and I shattered into
a million pieces.
And now you’ve found
a new cup
to replace me.
It was too easy
for you to throw
my jagged pieces of clay away.
