Put It To Rest: Poetry Month Challenge

The Phoenix

a poem

Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash

Take these broken wings!
Let them fall away
Remove the safety net
Let’s see how this story ends
I walk the tightrope with eyes shut tight
feeling the danger, but welcoming it
Expecting the moment when
the ground will rush up to meet me
Will that finally end the years of sadness
comparing myself to those I admire
yet always coming up short?
Surely, the answer is no
For, wherever I may go from here
be it good or bad
I will still be me when I get there
with the same fears and insecurities
I’ll always wonder why
true happiness eluded me
Why only doubt and apathy
were my constant companions
Why I couldn’t see the beauty within me
Why I couldn’t allow love to grow as fast as hate did
Why I thought I couldn’t handle any of it
Why I decided to give up, knowing it would change nothing
Knowing then that peace can’t be achieved this way
I must open my eyes as I walk this fine line
Ignore the ash and soot surrounding me
I must mend these broken wings
Being reborn does not come only through death
Our choices can breathe new life into us
I must never forget who I am…
…I am the Phoenix, and I will rise again!

Desiree Batiste is the author of “The Shaping of a Diamond”, a self-published journey through surviving abuse, domestic violence and more told through poems, which is available for purchase on Amazon. Find her on Medium, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok or on her website. Desiree Batiste ©2023.

Put It To Rest: April Poetry Month Challenge