A Rafter asked me to muse on the topic of shame and self-forgiveness. This poem is what emerged. Thank you, anonymous friend, for the prompt!
THE SCAR’S APPEAL
Phyllis Cole-Dai
Look at me:
I’m what remains of the terrible cut—
that regrettable thing you wish
you hadn’t done
(or had)
I’m the visible sign
of the jagged wound
and the evidence
of its healing
Without me
you couldn’t survive
Once upon your skin
I’m here forever
but I never stay
what I was
I’m not made
from the same flesh
as the rest of you
The deeply damaged
can’t grow back
Mending requires
something new
not seen
reliving what’s past:
The red
The swollen
The hard
The numb
Accept what’s come:
The beauty of repair
If I’m not there yet
give me time
Cleanse the layers
of shame and guilt
and I will grow
smoother, softer, lighter
The puckering will settle
Good blood will flow
Good feeling will arrive
When tempted to hide me
leave me open to the air
Were I not meant to be seen
I would disappear
without a trace
You have been marked
Face me as I am
and you will learn to see right
through me
