Staying Power #120: "The Scar's Appeal"
Our scars ask us to look closely
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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
The Gentle Nudge
Join other Rafters this week for . . .
Creatives’ Coffee Wednesday, 4:00-5:30PM Central at this link
Poetry Pick-Me-Up Thursday 12:00-1:00PM Central at this link
This touched me deeply. The outward evidence of the surgery for my oral cancer is minimal, the surgeon, an artist, was deft in his work and the scars are silver traces, neat and delicate. I am grateful for the treatments that ended my cancer but I am not the same as before, my smile, the difficulty in bestowing a kiss, changes in diet, are daily reminders of the difference. Compared to many with this disease my scars are minor, the alteration in my daily life minima,l but I have emerged from this chrysalis changed, not quite a butterfly.
I have a burn scar on my neck which I used to be terribly self conscious about and hid it from everyone. The most amazing thing is that after 53 years of marriage, my sweet husband has never mentioned it or asked about it. He just took my scar as a part of me, no questions asked! Thanks for this lovely message about things we don’t usually consider as lovely 🥰