the scars i chose for myself – a poem

Hello Readers,

Today I wanted to share a freeform poem I wrote based off of a person I met at church. I always enjoy hearing people’s stories, and this person had an interesting tattoo to go with their story. It was one of those things that are just begging to be written.

the scars i chose for myself

my scars were inked into my flesh

i chose them, i suppose.

black and white, writhing in my skin

i fought the battle but i lost the war

and in my moment of defeat

a scar was chosen

my arm was covered

so

i

would

not

forget

how i fought and fought and

lost.

“i tried to drown my demons

but they learned

how

to

swim.”

now i’m going underwater

a father eases me in

i think i hear the people

they’re singing

for

who?

for me?

my soul yearns to sing with them

but i am not ready yet.

soon.

the holy water gets in my lungs

i choke on it but it burns

i feel my demons in my chest

they’re choking too

but now i’m breathing

then i’m up

the water is gone

and

so

are

they.

i look over

and there He is

holding every last one under

they burn in the water of baptism

i could not drown them

but thank God

that

He

could.

~Ruby