From The Dust

I’m drawn within, held frail and thin.  

Look at what I behold:

A spirit strong, now strongly twisted… 

A blazing heart, now cold.

I look about, at tears, sweat, 

Burn, blood, and grime-

At all the pain I’ve caused myself, 

From the start of my earth-time.

I didn’t know I’d taint myself, 

Nor understand at all,

Why it was so important 

For me to heed my call:

The call to take my leave, 

To end my own great pain,

To walk away from bitter hell, 

To purge this inner stain.

But purging stains lodged so deep that 

I cannot, they, now find…

Knowing not how it is done, 

I leave my core behind.

Turning out to face a world 

With beauty I can't own,

I don’t know how to do this- 

To live life all alone.

A beating heart unfeeling, 

Broken others in such pain…

How can these heart-tragedies 

Be turned now into gains?

For you who know such heart-pains, 

And have known them well,

Will you dust off your treasures, 

Take them off your shelves,

Speak your soothing heart-balm 

To those who never healed

That wounds may now be cleaned and washed,

And kissed, and hugged, and sealed?

May this great world be healed from hate, 

May this my spirit dwell

With each who hid, and now emerge, 

From that wherein they fell.

Adam Scott Campbell