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Worn And Weary These Wings

 

Denial cannot bury the burdens

By shoveling suspicion over the tracks

Covering up all the displaced trust

Fallen through the emotional cracks

 

Rusted truths kept fiercely guarded

Bandaged with lies that grind in the dirt

On the wounds that carry the mantle

Of betrayal, guilt, shame, and hurt

 

Hearts proffered in embracing acceptance

Met with resentment and critical scorn

Banished to bleed and suffer the crushing

Neath the unbearable weight that is borne

 

Faith twisted, left to flail unrequited

From loss of worth it finds itself spurned

And all the bridges it built with compassion

Chipped away at, toppled, and burned

 

The angry voices inside keep colliding

From rippled whisper to full boiling shout

Sending hope to the sacrificial altar

To be slain by all manner of doubt

 

Long retreats into runaway silence

Excuses framed by apology notes

Compiled in the musty old volumes

Of well intended repetitive quotes

 

In the dark well of woeful wallow

A most unwelcome soul demon feeds

Giving rise to irrational conclusions

Filling false and fear-fostered needs

 

There’s a light in the soul of the seeker

Searching a path to recover lost mien

Within a maze of cyclic affliction

Away from all that should never have been

 

Will there be just one angel to rise   

Amend the terms of life’s bitter lease

Offer solace to soul in deep struggle

Bring much needed comfort and peace

 

One aching and battle-worn guardian

Bound in old and soul-tattered slings

With enough strength, resolve, and courage

To give lift to these most precious wings

 

At the root of all healing and progress

This basic premise forever holds true

The one angel that holds all the power

Is always the one that you’ll find inside you

 

                     s. paul   (Feb.  2021)