Scars

I have scars all over my body that will likely never go away.

Some people have asked why I write poetry. I tell folks the poems help map out my emotions, like an explorer in a jungle, although I’m exploring by babbling words together. While I enjoy my daily poetry tinkers, there is another motive.

Being vulnerable is one of the hardest things anyone can do. I have scars all over my body that will likely never go away. Over the years, I learned to accept my physical scars because I need them to be me.

Scars tell our stories; there is no need to hide from the mistakes, failures, and accidents that define who we are. Alexander, the “Great” of Macedonia, was once accused by his army of not fighting his battles. To the army’s surprise, Alexander then took off all his armor to show them his body was littered with scars from all the battles he fought.

But Alexander is not unique. If you pay attention around you, people carry all kinds of scars: from saving innocent bystanders, surviving cancer, accidents, or chasing their dreams. Scars are the stories that bond us together and remind us of our humanity, like stars making up constellations.

The prominent figure of Alexander the Great is revealed at the Sovereign Base Areas in Limassol! (allaboutlimassol.com)

So how do scars relate to my poetry?

My poems are scars people couldn’t see that I decided to show. Each poem is a story with meaning; they are my emotional falls, tumbles, bumps, and bruises that formed the person you know…

… an honest goof having fun while still finding meaning in a complicated world.

Word count: 249
Twitter: @bhavprajapati

52 | 250 (fifty two | two fifty), a collection of random, recurring, ruminations written with patience for depth and brevity. Each post is written over the course of a week in 250 words or less as a personal exercise of freedom and focus in a time of placid tumult and despair.