lit

I am fragile.
See me splinter, a coffee mug
dropped on ceramic tile.

See my soul
spill out
spread along the contours.

See the black stain
spread across the surface—
a dark spot that was my life.

It is not love that shattered this delicate soul.
It is not hate that caused this catastrophe.
Fear alone penetrated this transparent facade.

This passing moment,
when life seems to evaporate—
steam from boiling water.

I am naked
when truth strips me
of a lie.

I am humbled
when confessing my error.
I am reborn

When the old shattered remains
swept away, replaced with
a new vessel to contain my soul.