Tears paint salty paths down my cheeks
Blood rushes in my ears
Like the sound of hard rain beating down 
Violent sobs convulse me
It is all I can do to breathe
I am immobilized by my devastation

Why me?
Why now?
Why this way?
Why at all?
What have I done to deserve this fate?

My life has walked off a cliff
And is now decimated on the sharp rocks
Espoused to the violent sea
There is no place lower than this
There is no pain deeper than this

I raise my face to the sky
It is painted in the softest, light-kissed pastels
Rays of the setting sun arch up from the horizon
The beauty delivers me from my inner torment
Long enough to remember this pain will not last forever
This trauma is not an end of me
But a door into a new beginning for me

I am reminded that to appreciate the beauty of the light
One must experience the depth of darkness
And when I'm ready
I shall emerge a new version of myself
Scarred and tender
But wiser and smarter for it

-gws

Weary to the bone
I drop where I stand
It feels liberating to let my guard down
No matter what comes next
Now is the time for a short rest
Convalescence of mind, body, and spirit
Contemplation of what I have just endured
And quiet preparation for what is to come
This time is for me
My respite from the fight
I close my eyes
Tip back my head
And breathe

-gws