No Matter That it Burns

Darkness grabs at my ankles like tiny vines; writhing in agony, desperate to be disconnected from their roots.

Still, I persist.

Light peeks in from the corners of my eyes, warped and skewed only at first by salty tear ducts, reluctant to let it in.

But Truth can't hide forever. It must break its way in. It must fuse itself against every cell in my body, not only because I want it to, but because it is absolutely necessary for the freedom of my soul.

A calmness lingers here in the midst of the storm. Angry tears and raging questions fall down in drops and beat against the pavement with no remorse. Yet somehow the beating doesn't tear me down, it builds me up. I know without it, there can be no newness, no freshness, and no washing away of what would have been.

So for now, I stand in the openness of the world, and leave shelter for the birds. I let it bash my skull in, split open my ribcage, and tear my heart out.

The rain washes the blood from the street, and though it stings, I am happy to welcome it.