Warm Winter

Depths of winter,  

silence 

blankets the world,  

my scars lie

like fallen leaves,  

each one

a testament

to the cold,  

each one

of battles endured—  

they shimmer in

the dark light,  

whispers

of past

clings like glue.  

The sun

stretches its arms,  

softens

edges of ice,  

Earth finally breathes,  

and I,

too, 

feel the strings of spring,  

pulse of life

around the surface,  

cradling the promise

of warmth.  

Scars,

once a stigma

of shame,  

now tell the tales

of strength—  

each mark

a bridge

from darkness

to dawn,

each line a path leading to acceptance. 

My heart learns

to trust the sun,  

to find acceptance

in the scars that remain