Hope

The floor beneath me disappears

I’m alone with all my fears

Cast aside the hard protective shell

And my broken heart seems out for sale.

Weak and naked and stretched between

What the world is and what it seems

There is no shield; I’m thrust before Hell

My secrets unguarded, I’m forced to tell

The truth about who I really am and who I need to be

Without the protective aura of love surrounding me.

Back again to the cold, hard painful truth

I grow numb to the pain and become aloof.

At who I really am and who I need to be

I see in the mirror what I do not want to be me

While I was with him, I felt I was in a trance,

And now my reflection hits me like a lance.

So now, alone I stand again,

Different and quite unsure

Missing that always constant presence

That caused me to feel loved and secure.

Another day has begun…

Life is a mountain, with some impossible lesson to teach

I begin to climb, I stretch my arms and legs and reach

Pulling myself up, pushing forward, I grow stronger with every stride-

Until I no longer notice the climb, I once again enjoy the ride.

Melisa Darby

Washington, DC