~Piece by Piece~

The I after You

lay dormant

in the heart of Winter

snow and shards of ice 

as sharp as any knife 

created protective layers

over my cold skin

But piece by piece

I thawed

First my feet

then my legs

then my belly

then my heart

and finally

my brain

started to come

back to life

like bright green leaves

and rich brown roots

Every once in a while

I was tempted to retreat

back under the frozen ground

to seek sanctuary far from

any heartbeat or blood pulsing

through my fragile veins

To be alive again stung

like frozen heat

But piece by piece

I became whole again

(Dedicated to my husband who has made me feel more alive than ever.)