#afterheartbreak
I hear the numbness in her monotone voice
the lack of affect in her face as she recounts
the shock
the betrayal
the Herculean effort of each next step she must take
Looking into her slow-blinking eyes
as she recounts telling their children
I recall how heartbreak can turn one into an automaton
I, too, have been the wartime nurse
applying pressure to bleeding wounds
while the man responsible for the carnage
is AWOL
I give her the name of my divorce lawyer
I send her daily affirmations
words of encouragement
humorous anecdotes
to help her find the escape of laughter
to remind her
she—source of life—is still alive
I will continue to show up in the waiting room of her trauma
bearing witness to her metamorphosis
from trampled caterpillar to butterfly
with razor-sharp wings of shiny steel
I will spread thick warpaint upon her bruised cheeks
summoning the strength of all women warriors
whisper into her ear to harness it
this burning fury rising up within her
I’ll hold up a mirror to her emerging power
her beautiful, bullet-proof resiliency
remind her she will not drown in this man-made disaster
No, she will not drown
for her numb heart will heal
and as her feelings return
she will find strength has replaced weakness
she will realize
she is not choking on salty water of violent waves
she will discover
she is, in fact, the motherf*cking hurricane
© 2026 SincerelyJoanWrites
Jan 10
Jan 10, 2026 at 6:12 PM UTC
the brightness of sun
the softly breathing song
the very jocund voice of love
whispered by the trees
drawn by the clouds
in every step she danced
was she blind
or was she dead
to realize that
the world was never cruel
love was never black-hearted
only blithesome day
was left to be enjoyed
for her who suffered enough
Mar 12, 2017
Mar 12, 2017 at 6:05 AM UTC