The Broken Heart War
I Am Paul Revere
I grip the handle bars and inhale
I sit in the position the brave have been
Evaluate my opponent in detail,
Twenty feet of pavement that cuts the surface of my skin.
Nothing compared to my last battle.
I gripped my parents’ hands and inhaled
I laid in the position the dying have been
Closed my eyes before my opponent unveiled,
Twenty different tools that cut deep into my skin.
This is nothing.
My heart frantically knocks on my chest
Scared to fall but ready to defeat
To let go of energy it was forced to suppress
Six weeks of doing nothing but beat.
Nothing compared to my last battle.
My heart frantically pounded in my chest
Scared to fight, not ready to defeat
It wanted to free my body, which the medicine possessed
Six hours until I would finally hear a beat.
This is nothing.
I hug the pedals in preparation to fly
My mom secretly watches from home base
I take off and try to catch up with time
But four more years until I would win the race.
Nothing compared to my last battle.
I hugged my parents and wanted to fly
But my broken wings kept me on base
Friends moved forward as I went back in time
Ten stitches disqualified me from the race.
This means everything, the battles are one.
This means everything, the war has just begun.
The Final Battle
Long since the days that I couldn’t ride on two wheels
I had mastered many arts with age
But the enemy resurfaced on my heels
Ready to put me back in my cage.
This too shall pass.
Long since the days that I couldn’t grasp gravity
I now understood the war that waged,
Aware of my parents’ tears and agony,
Learned of the cracking of my rib cage.
It will pass.
And after the cracking, a tissue to remove
The one that had silently grown back
Despite the strength I was trying to prove,
My rival refused to wave the white flag.
This too shall pass.
And then the stitching, a scar to create
The one I kept silently in the shadows
Despite my praying for it to fade,
It reopened and a new one arose.
It will pass.
The war was over but not the battle cry,
Which still rang loudly in my dreams
Four years ago I was learning to fly
Now I was waiting to rip at the seams.
This too shall pass.
I had never been like Paul Revere
Because I no idea what was coming
My bravery was replaced with fear,
Of my very own heart drumming.
This did not pass, the memory still pains.
This did not pass, the murmur remains.
Delayed Victory
My murmur is a magnificent tune
That I relish in hearing played.
They say that time heals all wounds
Yet it won’t make my scar fade.
They say to wear your heart on your sleeve
But what about one you forever have to test?
It’s innocence was stolen by thieves
So I keep my cards close to my chest.
My valve is unblocked
And my strength persists
But my bicycle will stay locked
Until war no longer exists.