"Broken"
When I first met her
she came to me like a
caged bird with a song in her heart
and a spirit like a butterfly
free flowing from
flower to flower...
Beautiful and life giving
with breath taking power
in her wings -
with a dark and tortured past.
A past that would soon return
to sabotage one of her wings.
And I,
the man with a childlike spirit,
and hope, will be there
because I carry Elmer's glue
for such occasions.
I will be there
So that when I find said
broken butterfly
I can fix her wing.
Bond her spirit to her broken body...
throw her up to God
with hope that he would fix her.
Fate would have me only
witness her disappointing decent
back to earth still broken
but full of life.
See, what I learned was
the Elmer's glue used
to hold her spirit intact
was failing her.
It wasn't allowing her back
into heaven in the condition
she was in.
Her spirit had been broken by too many
failed attempts at love, patience
and forgiveness.
Until I began to care for her,
I didn't know that her life was
a periodical of pain
in need of purging in pursuit of pleasure
while forsaking praise
from the palates of angels -
this will be the truth of her.
The truth that will allow she
to see
that her wing
was indeed
broken.
No matter how much glue
I put on her broken wing,
no matter how close
I threw her to God,
she refused to fly.
And her song sought sanctuary
from the sinister solitude
of her cage that scavengers
would sit silently
sifting through her spirit
in search of something selfishly
to steal from her soul.
They waited
and watched from the sidelines
for her to fail
and fall back to earth
broken and alone...
This is not the life that this
butterfly wants or needs.
Elmer won't satisfy her today.
She requires crazy glue.
An adhesive strong enough to
to withstand the pressure of flight
and the ability to hold her wings in place
while being a friend
and sounding board for her complaints
of failed attempts
at flight and freedom.
For her failed attempts
at salvation and love.
For her success
at the self destructive behavior
of flying too close to the sun -
that can only be fixed with time...
Time that we don't own
but waste.
Time that is on loan
and not ours to give.
Time that sets tones,
breaks homes
and heals broken bones
or feathers
so that she may seek faith
to try to fly again
on her own.
And next time,
when I pray for her
and throw her to the heavens...
I will, as she leaves my hands
ask God if he will catch her,
fix her wing
and help her to fly?
Until that moment comes,
I will hold her.
I will hold her
until I see trust and faith
courageously encouraging her
in her eyes.
I will hold her
precious and broken.
I will hold her
with Elmer's glue in hand
ready for the next idea
that leads her to believe that
she can fly
with only one wing.
I will encourage her -
empower her to believe
that she can try to do it...
against all logic and advice...
but even then, I will hold her
and let her know
that I will be there
to pick up the pieces
of her shattered dreams
and promises broken
- lost during flight
with a broken wing
Elmer's glue and faith.
I will be there
to fix her
broken wing
and spirit.
"Broken" k/d/morris © 2007
