Catharsis

Words to purge the past.
Phrases to cleanse by stages.
Poems to scrub the soul.
        Might these bring healing?

Depends how deep you dig.
Pushing through the soft soil,
Striking the hard-faced rock,
        The first steps to the tomb.

The testing time comes later,
When the spinning, biting drill
Hits the vibrant nerve, screaming
        Stop!

Drilling, the pain hurts,
The frightened mind backs off,
The wounded heart hides.
        Pain sounds the retreat.

Can the hurt heart
Stop hiding?
Face its pain
        Find true healing?

Reaching the tomb,
Shining a torch on bleached bones,
Reliving their story, leaving,
        Opens deep healing.

The unlooked-for moment,
The unbidden flash,
The blessed release – a mystery, a gift.
        The skeleton mutating.