When my wishing grew desperate

And my spirit was aching

To move forward in spite of

The burrs that stuck to my heart

You looked me in the eyes

Saw how fragile I had grown

Hiding behind a wall I thought was stone

But really was as clear as glass.

You asked me with compassion

And urgency

If I could ever thrive

By returning to a poisoned well.

And in my desperate wishing

To catch all the thin affirmations

From others in my slippery hands-

But never grasping tightly enough

To keep them from scattering in the wind

Instead of transforming the dark places within me-

Your hard truth felt firm and solid

And turned me from the edge of the pit

Giving me the strength to name

The fears that would not abate

And confront the pain I did not want feel.

You pruned away that dead branch

And though it hurt to be cut

It was a relief to begin growing

In the right direction.