(2010) Submission Poem by Deana Rode

I keep fighting a battle I'm not accustomed to;
one between my past and my present,
between my regrets and my resolutions...

Past scars keep trying to convince me that all is for not,
that all I will have at the end of this journey is another broken heart,
another reason to hate the world in which I am forced to be part of...

And yet, there is this dim light of hope, one not before seen
whispering to me that all will work out in the long run,
that all this is necessary in order for me to grow...

Who speaks the truth, and who speaks to me in lies?

I wish I could decipher the images that flash behind my closed eyes;
both the ones the make me smile and those that make me cry,
so that I could end this chaos inside my heart and just be free...

Wrap your arms around me again tonight, as we drift into the land of sleep,
embed your safety and warmth into my skin, your sweet breath into my pores;
whisper in my ear you love me above all others, that I bring you joy not before held
so that I can feel the reasons why I am ignoring my very traditions
and cutting the ties within my own mind.