Memories: Tattoos on the Heart
Slice like a double-edged sword
Memories
Are a double-edged sword
Inflicting pain
Etching reminders of what is lost
Like engraved tattoos on the heart
In skilled hands of a hero
A blade removes the cancer
Leaving scars
While carving opportunities
For exhilarating adventures
An experienced butcher
When he separates ordinary slices
From prime cuts
Knows each hold value
To provide necessary nourishment
But only the Samurai owns the gift
Of sculpting a new reality
Piercing the pain of the past
To bleed the essence
That spills forth with flowing virtuousness
Memories
Are a double-edged sword
Inscribing images
Fashioning reminders of what is and was
Like engraved tattoos on the heart
Please enjoy more poetry from Brenda Mahler.
