When they pierce you, the needle goes in straight 

That’s why it hurts when you twist a corkscrew through the hole

Even after you’ve healed. 

Amazing how far your scars can stretch 

When tested by a thicker bar 

How your body will adapt and form

A brand new shape for your updated adornment. 

Harder though is how the heart heals

How a thickened skin can circle the trust you once had

And make your empathy less pliable 

Less available

Less wide. 

There’s no twisting a corkscrew through a heart piercing

The wound itself is enough to kill.

One must sit, still and groaning

While others watch over the process 

Offering tenderness and gentle silence 

Until the hard scab falls off on its own.