The rawness of pain felt,

A sharp stab through the thick meat of my soul.

Time is a cool misty rain that slowly washes away the desiccated stains of blood red heartache,

To reveal a soft, pinkish-hued scar, still tender when love tries to break through its sensitive flesh.

Suddenly, an old flame emerges to remind me of my true self, confident and whole.

Skeptical, I flinch when he comes near my wound, ghost-throbbing with each step conveyed in my direction.

A reminder that friendship can save us.

When a man sees through the scars into my authentic self, and dares to invest in me despite my thick outer skin, hardened by experience.

This may not be The One, but he takes my pain and helps it resolve into nothing, an honest friend with patience to anoint my wounds, listen to my fears, and ease my anxiety of ever trying to love again.