I am not a person
just a fool
worthless
spineless
mindless
unhappy
just a string of events
and flings.

My dad said, “Power through”
my mom said, “Pour me another”.
Both said, “You’re our everything”.
I started out with nothing
and in the end
it will still be
my everything.

A worn out girl
beaten daily
by her dad
brother
boyfriend
fiancée
husband.

All of them.

The weight of the world is on her shoulders.

Like any other day.

In the summer of my life,
When I swore, promised, even,
If only to my sad-broken-self,
Nurturing a heart beyond repair,
I would never venture abroad,
Never again sail from safe shores,
I awake, open my eyes, smile,
I am in love, and I’m not afraid.

Beyond anything previously known,
A new experience, fresh, bright,
A meeting of not only hearts,
But emotionally bonded, strong,
Immeasurable depths, mind, spirit,
Two coalesced as one, bliss,
Forging a blended alloy of love,
In the summer of my life.

©Paul Chafer 2014

There is a legend
A myth
That says
Once, a very long time ago
People-
Humans-
Had four arms,
Four legs,
Two heads
And one heart.
People-
Humans-
Were powerful.
Powerful enough to scare almighty
Zeus.
So he split the people-
Humans-
Into separate beings
With two arms,
Two legs,
One head,
But only half a heart.
Sentencing the people-
Humans-
To spend their lives hunting
And searching
And feeling... unwhole.

Every once in a
Very long while,
A person-
A human-
Is lucky enough to
Find their other
Two arms,
Two legs,
Head,
And half of their heart.
Darling
I think that maybe
We
Are some of the lucky few
Who are whole again
Strong again
And powerful.
Powerful enough to
Scare the
Gods
With our
Four arms,
Four legs,
Two heads
And a heart
That is ours to
Share.

Berries and
Sky and
Faded jeans and
Oceans and
China teacups and
Forget-me-nots.
Morpho butterflies in the pit of my
Stomach and
His eyes and
My
Heart.