FRAGILE VESSEL Broken But Bold Enough to Bounce Back Contest
FRAGILE VESSEL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Poem written for and submitted to “Broken But Bold Enough to Bounce Back” Poetry Contest, Anoucheka Gangabissoon, sponsor, August 11, 2025.
They gathered like shadows,
the character assassins~
their whispers their weapons,
their glances a silent judgment,
truth twisted to fit their narrative,
a caricature of my spirit
painted in the hues of malice.
I, a fragile vessel,
trembled beneath the weighty ocean of their scorn,
wearing their lies like a shroud,
a heavy fabric,
woven from the weak threads
of fear and intimidation,
a shawl of self-doubt draped over my shoulders.
I stood, alone,
a silhouette against an invisible storm,
fragments of my name,
scattered like decayed, autumn leaves,
their slanderous stories
veiled in the cloak
of honor and integrity.
In the distance,
a Lighthouse flickered
a small ember glowing~
the stubborn light of His truth, my truth.
I gathered the shards of who I was,
reconstructing the mosaic of my spirit,
one bold piece of rubble at a time.
I took the jagged shards of my identity,
carving a path through the rubble,
not with anger,
but with the quiet strength of a heart
that refused to stop beating,
a spirit that refused
to be broken or silenced.
No longer a fragile vessel,
I walk through the world with a fierce grace
not unscathed, but
wearing my scars like armor
each one a testament, a story of resilience~
each chapter a silent statement
of soulful courage.
In the stillness, I reflect—
not on the wounds that once broke me,
but on the God-given strength that emerged,
bold and unyielding,
a testament to His power,
the Power lies in the heart of the broken.
Copyright ©
Sara Etgen-Baker
|