Broken hearts must not bleed.
They must not leave an obvious trail because I walked by you,
every full and busy day,
and your smile did not hint of your hemorrhaging heart.
Your eyes did not mirror your interior paint-peeling, beam-bending, roof-crashing pain;
though, I did miss the twinkle, now that I think about it.
We brushed shoulders;
we shared space;
we breathed air.
I knew I was weak, but you . . . oh, so strong.
We exchanged “How are you” kinds of small talk—
queries that either have no answers or flat-out lies of “Fine.” “Good.” “And you?”
But it wasn’t good, and isn’t good—neither you nor I.
How many hearts bleed silently and unknown—
how many hemorrhaging lives do we pass shoulder to shoulder?
A p r o n h e a d -- Lilly Green 
Lilly, this one is lonely and sad – both the words and the photo – and express so much emotion.
It is always a surprise and a sadness to discover another’s pain that hitherto was unknown. It makes me wonder if I’m obtuse or are we all just really good at hiding?
But I also think of the many that walk beside me who are unaware of my pain. This has been one of the hardest few months of my life. You can’t wear placards announcing to the world, but we do need trusted “one anothers” to support. I guess it’s a tightrope. Part of how I process is through my writing. But I guess you could see that.
Broken hearts DON’T bleed. They groan inwardly, and crawl into holes to hide. Almost no one around knows what to do with a broken one, so they ignore in their inability to have words to cover the wounds. But they cry out to be seen, held, noticed, loved! The broken places in me resonate with your words…
I guess it not as much fear of being vulnerable as it is an issue of trust. We trust God with our pain, but sometimes we need someone with skin on, too. But to know who to trust is often hard. I pray I may be counted one who is trustworthy.
And in so doing, you WILL be that person! God can use such a one with an open and willing heart.
Let it be.
Great truthful stuff Lilly.
Thank you.
Yes, most of us are very good at hiding the pain, often even from ourselves. Somethings just take time for the grieving and until it is done, we are of little help or comfort or strength to anyone, least of all to ourselves, for we do not even know what is wrong. Your words touched my heart.
Thanks so much for your good comment.
These are powerful words. Father God has healed me of so much, and continues to heal. I thank God for His love, for a programme called Living Waters (possibly called Dessert Streames in the USA), for others who are walking wounded and walk with me too.
And now God is using me to walk with those who recognise their broken hearts and want to be healed.
Could I use this poem at some point during Living Waters programmes that I am facilitating?
Every blessing
Kate
Surely. Bless you in the ministry you have.
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