I am the Willow

 

I am the Willow.

I bend to the will of the Wind.

He is satisfied that he has caused me to weep.

He does not know; I do not break.

His lack of understanding comprehends not;

I am renewed from a depth he will never come to know.

 

Encouragement I gain from the nearby stream as she whispers;

“You are loved.”

The gentle embrace of the cleansing rain heals my wounds.

Even with the scars that remain, she comforts me with the wisdom;

“You are beautiful.”

The Robins build their nest in the shelter, which are my branches.

They sing a new song to my soul;

“You are needed.”

The sun rises, and light shines through the past darkness.

I recognized a new truth;

I am a survivor.

 

__Lauralynn Browning         

Happily Ever After

     If I knew where my happily ever after was, I’d go fetch it by the feet and drag it home.

     As a young girl, I expected things to turn out a certain way. I expected to find the love of my life, my best friend, the one whom I could share my every hope and fear with, the one who (by his belief in me) would help me believe in my ability to achieve my dreams. This love was to be two lives merging into one, the unbreakable bond that no one could break apart. 

     Instead, I’ve found a labyrinth with many dead ends. I’ve suffered under their stifling anger, disbelief, and, worst of all, the necessity of keeping my thoughts and needs to myself. There was no room for my needs amongst the unbearable demands of the other I was with at that time.