SCARS

{AUTHORS NOTE} I chose this piece for many reasons, only one of which was more exposure for this particular piece. I have a lot of scars, inside and out, self-inflicted both in unintentional fun and deliberate rage, as a victim of violence and happenstance. This poem is as much about me as it is everyone else.

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They mar the flesh, the mind and the soul.

           Yet without them we wouldn’t really be whole.

Every tare leaves its trace, inside or out.

           Some spawn confidence, others root doubt.

A self inflicted relief,

an adolescent mistake.

A reminder of grief,

a blessing to appreciate.

An exploratory outlet,

an intriguing fascination.

A lesson learned,

a stigmatic recreation.

Unexpected interruptions of our reality.

          Causing lasting impacts on our “normality.”

Consciously or not, reshaping our mentality.

           Even provoking bursts of utter irrationality.

Knowing or otherwise, not a soul is pristine.

          Damage to the psyche can go lifetimes unseen.

But not all the wounds we bare are of damnation.

          There may be marks that came of our salvation.

Not just a scar, but a keepsake with a story.

           A badge of honor and a never forgotten glory.

Some come by choice, other just by chance.

            Next time you see one, don’t just side-glance.

|| another-proser ||