i stripped down
laid the brokenness
in a pile at your feet
you held my
fragility
carefully rubbed salve
into my
festering wounds

i was terrified that
my vulnerability
would strangle me
but you were not afraid
to walk down that path
and untangle the knots
so i could breathe

as my tears washed away
the layers of silt
glints of more vibrant colors
caught newfound light-
together
we found the ones worth
saving

slowly you
handed me the pieces
while i
glued together
a new mosaic of
breath-taking
shards
forming a
coherent narrative
that i am no longer
afraid to share

sk lockhart
july 5, 2015