Bleeding in the Most Unexpected Moments

A few brush strokes.
The light maybe.
The smell of brush cleaner.
The color.

You never know where they will come from.
The triggers. The sharp-edged reminders
that wound heal,
but rarely completely,

that you are likely to bleed
in the most unexpected moments.
and the most unexpected places.
You are never prepared.

But all the same, you got through it all
before. You will again,
each time a bit stronger
able to speak truth to pain

before you walk away
to dance.

About this poem

I am not sure we ever completely heal from our wounds. Abandonment. Abuse. Loss. Pain. They hide in the crevices and appear at the most unexpected times. Flare-ups of psychic pain. We heal. We get stronger. We go on. But they are always there, lurking. Waiting to pull the trigger.

The photograph was taken in my studio.

Tom