Hand to chest where I can feel The rhythmic beating of a heart That still pumps and beats and Lives inside my body even when My chest feels empty and my heart Hurts from the invisible wounds Struck deep by cold words penetrating All the defenses I thought I had In place to keep you from getting in Where the icy fingers of your love In disguise did their dirty deeds Under a watchful eye blind to all The wickedness you were capable of Rendering me crushed in the wreckage Hand to chest I still feel my heart Beating harder as I find myself Climbing up higher than before To a place where I can get perspective On the damage done but I’m not done The crash is in the past and I’m moving Forward because I’m still alive in spite Of all the hurt you’ve inflicted on me I’m your unwitting student carrying With me all the lesson I’ve learned Building up better than last time To keep me from falling so hard When the next time comes around I can still feel my heart beating I can feel my heart healing I can feel myself forgiving You for all the things you did I won’t let you do them again
A response to Ingrid’s prompt at d’Verse asking us “to revisit a time in your life when you have felt pain (emotional or physical, acute or chronic) and come out on the other side stronger.”
Copyright © 2021 TJS Sherman All rights reserved.
Musing & Creating with T.J.S. Sherman 
This is very powerful: that persistent heartbeat that keeps on going even when we feel broken, the body’s constant repeated prayer. Those final lines represent real healing and recovery: the acts of both forgiveness and self love.
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This is exquisitely drawn! The pain, the angst, the feelings of betrayal, the act of forgiving, and moving on depict the strength of fiery character. I especially resonate with; “Where the icy fingers of your love in disguise did their dirty deeds.” Yes. 💝
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