Time

Time heals
Or so some say
For the longest time
I wasn't so sure

Like a watched kettle never boils
So wounds too need to be left alone
Whether torn flesh or wounded soul
Whether heart or hand
Time needs to work its magic

Like an impatient child
with a gravel-rashed knee
If you hurry the healing process
Picking and poking and probing
Seeking out soft and sensitive new skin
You risk reopening the wound
You risk prolonging the pain

And just when you think you will never heal
You find the wound has closed
A scar remains, as a reminder
Which aches sometimes, but
You can laugh and love and live again
Yes, time does heal
I know that now

© Robert Ford 1999