Blemish

It’s not so easy to rise 
into our greatness 
after all the years 
molding ourselves 
into the shape of shame. 

If beauty is without blemish, 
how can the the hole in our hearts 
be the reed through which 
God makes music?

Why not become the instrument?

Let the changing shape of you 
form another note as God plays, 
through you, the love song of your life.

© 2020 Nick LeForce
All Rights Reserved

Blemish is excerpted from my latest book of poetry: The Undiscovered Country: How To Live In Your Own Heart Land. Please join me for selected readings from the book on Sunday, June 21 and Sunday Jun 28 at 9:00 AM PST.

Most of us have been shamed at some point along the way. Shame is a powerful social mechanism because we all have a deep need for belonging. Although shame can keep us humble, it often turns into an inner tyrant that can run roughshod over us diminishing and defeating us. This poem celebrates the times when shame loses its grip and, if it comes, it simply flows through us as does any other passing thought or emotion. Then we can let our changing thoughts and feelings become notes in the music of our lives.