New Growth

We stumble into 2014

Licking our wounds

Fresh with blood

In search of

Butterfly bandages

To minimize

The scarring 

Compound fractures

Broken bones

Wanting to 

Wash

Burn

Set

All that damaged

Us this past year

Casting off 2013

Like a weight

That has kept us

Underwater

Not able to see clearly

Because  the salt

Burns our eyes

Not able to hear

One another through the 

Murkiness

Of the deep water

From our own despair

This year fucked us good

In all the worst ways

We were both lost

Clutching to one another

Out of fear, habit

It can only get better 

From here

We will burn it all

For new growth

Making our forest

Lush with promise 

Hold my hand 

Don't look back

For those ghosts

Will just cloud your

Beautiful mind 

With doubts 

And we can't

Afford to take on any

Extra baggage this year.

~Amber C. Smith 2014