My Belonging

I'm not waiting
for someone
to break me open
I've done that
on my own
I've suffered quietly
without the light
from the sun, the stars
or the moon
No hand held me
while I cried
No hand consoled me
while I writhed
No lips danced
in time with mine
while the clouds
ran and dripped
as if the growth
of everything
depended on its moisture
Yet I have made
my own hands bleed
in search of a home
that did not exist
All the places I've known
have been boarded up
Shackled and shrouded
in darkness of its own
But I felt the flicker
of a flame
that burned 
from deep within
I've held the mirror
Examined each part
I've held myself
Consoled myself
Kissed myself
and let the warmth
spread through me
like it's known
this path all along
I've returned home
to myself
My heart
My truth
My true belonging



-September 2018