I Never

Free verse poem.

I never
Reached across a bridge so
Broken as the one to your heart
Nor found
Such fragile beauty or
Tender callouses
As those within
Its battered chambers

I stretched
Out my hand
Hoped to give you peace
And a
Demulcent for your brokenness
Held tight the shattered pieces
Framing your exigence
In my selfless vanity

How clearly
Your consecrated brokenness
Unearthed my fraudulent
Pride
Regenerated my essence
Graced my hidden faults
Transformed me from redeemer
To redeemed

Author's Note

Any comments or suggestions welcome

Reviews

[Jack Wolfe]

Hey, James, you're the English teacher so you'd know better than I. In your first and third stanza you drop down on 'nor found' and 'Pride' for emphasis, but why the drop on 'and a' this really threw me.

“I never
Reached across a bridge so
Broken as the one to your heart”

Great imagery.

As usual you paint an intriguing outlook, the heart broken, the realization, the redemption, your final line tied this together well. In my experience the redeemer is never truly redeemed.

[J. Land]

I suppose emphasizing the conjunction really served to show the series of actions born of vanity. Sometimes I get a little too cute in my phrasing. I see the clunkiness in this variation. Thanks again.

[Jack Wolfe]

Always glad to help, thanks for the read.

[SmittyJas]

I like this very much very creative touch. Lots of broken dreams and such. Matter to the one you love Transformed me from redeemer to the redeemed such is a good ending.

[Ashira Macy]

You paint a beautiful picture. And I love how it changes directions at the end. "Redeemer to redeemed" is a very relatable quote, at least for me.

[J. Land]

Thank you reading and commenting. I appreciate it!