I don't know when the change came for me

It's not like a date you could mark on a calendar

With little still to prove to anyone,

the edges are worn now, smoother

 

The change, I think, came from living

Learning from all the mistakes

that showed my humanity how to be better

than when it first began to feel

 

Appreciating the lessons of hurt

in all its’ forms and incarnations

I cherish all the ribbons awarded me,

secretly displayed on my heart

 

I can see diamonds on the water now

Feel the sadness of boats, aground at low tide,

pleading for the water’s quick return

so they can fulfill their purpose again

 

This awareness keeps bitterness at bay,

to not give it a home, a place of refuge

with a hearth for it to fan the flames