A piece of my shadow

Love's seed so precious is rarely found,
planted deep within the virgin
soil of my youth.
Like an expectant new mother
I nurtured it in ideal expectations
and lofty Truth.

And there came the day
this relationship was born
between my life-love and I.
But in our shadows Life's lessons lurked to show us we lived a lie.

At first, the transformation,
I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT--
this Jekyl and Hyde husband--
I could not conceive it.

Ah, yes! Mr. Hyde, he cornered me
on that horrifying day;
much too late I tried to run,
by then endless denials barred the way

Then with four fingers he impaled me
with the awesome strength of insanity-
his hand bore into my chest--
cracking ribs as he spread the bones
and mangled my ivory breast.

In that dimension beyond terror
where senses blow apart,
he clenched his fist
and retracted the hand,
which beheld my still beating heart!

As I hung there mortified,
on the precipice of death
a resolve beyond timeless love
impelled excruciating breath.

I grabbed his wrist
and wrenched the fist
releasing my hope for future life--
though a far cry to imagine
I could ever be another's wife.

I replaced my heart,
and prayed to God
to show me how to heal--
for seven years I limped along,
until finally, again, I could feel.