Observer Of A Gentle Soul Poem by Shirley Harrison

And as she called it love

and put him on his very own pedestal

she knew deep within

that it wasn't


all I could do is watch in complete silence


she was beautiful

yet eyes seemed empty

sunken as the depth of the deepest sea

soulless, a one-way ticket bound for abyss


the saddest thing was

she could never see it for herself

blinded by her need not to acknowledge the truth


glancing into the broken mirror

was something she could never bring herself to do

for fear of being unfaithful to weakness and denial


so she just brushed it all off

as if it was dust from her bookshelf



reading, oh yes

she loved to read

yet she lost her passion for opening the pages

she left her books upon those shelves

covered in thick dust



and all he did

was remind her

she was worth nowt

nothing, nada, niente



until one day

and quite out of nowhere

she found the courage

to stand up for herself



the pedestal finally taken back abruptly



those dark dense shelves now dust free

Just open books of her favorite poets

men who actually taught her something

of love, of dignity and of pride



once again, she believed

in each morning

and in each flower that bloomed



she now dusts those beautiful books

with eyes that sparkle

her soul finally returned



the thing most extraordinary to me?



she never spoke with a voice of anger

of those darkest of moments



she'd simply say…



'I wouldn't be me without them
because, acquiring knowledge is always a lesson
even if it's most unpleasant'


and I?


well, I silently admire her beauty

from my reflection


in my now...

unbroken mirror.