Pillar Of Salt Poem by Alla Bozarth

She had no name in Scripture,
but history remembered her tragedy —
that of being trapped in an unhealed past.

Don’t look back,
battered child.
Time then hurt you.
Let time heal you.
Don’t look back.

Don’t look back,
beaten child.
They knew not what
they did except what
was done unto them.
Don’t look back.

Don’t look back,
abandoned child,
abused, neglected child.
Denial is salt in your wounds.
Dwelling is repeating
the deliberate disappearance
of your soul.
Don’t perpetuate this harm.

Break the cycle,
wait —
stop it here.

Speak out the paralyzing secret
and begin to come back to yourself.
Cry it out to compassionate ears
and be held in the hearts of your witnesses.

The truth shall make you free
but first it will shatter you.
What was broken can be mended,
what was lost, restored.
Find yourself, then,
pure and whole, a child of God.
Look back long enough to let go.


This poem is from the book Accidental Wisdom
by Alla Renée Bozarth, iUniverse 2003.
All rights reserved.