when everything has been broken

and you crash to the floor

when your heart has been opened

and now it’s just sore

 

when you take off your armor

and put down your sword

when you walk away from

what you should be running toward

 

when you fall for a person

the first time you meet

when you need to move on

but can’t budge your feet


 

when you break vows that you made

in the darkest of nights

when the tears leave you empty

after too many fights

 

when the lines you have drawn

are cracked and mislaid

when your wants are denied

no matter how hard you’ve prayed

 

when a chill in the air

cuts right to the bone

when you wake up beside her

and still feel alone

 

when words all desert you

and yet you stay true

when anger and jealousy

take hold of you

 

when the ones that you love

pack up and move on

when you wake with the sunset

and fall asleep at dawn

 

when you try to let go

yet still cling to hope

when you’re dangling from

a quickly fraying rope

 

when the silences curse you

for being alone

when you just long to hear

the ring of a phone

 

when the bottles you’ve emptied

line up on the wall

when you’re willing yourself

to just take that fall

 

when the long arms of time

encircle your soul

when you’ve lost so much

you no longer feel whole

 

when you’re so tired of trying

you want to give up

when the riches of the world

won’t fill your cup

 

when the song in your heart

falls apart at the chords

when you shiver beneath the warmth

your comforter affords

 

when the lines on your body

map the places you’ve been

when you lose every time

and can’t seem to win

 

when the ashtray is filled

in an hour or two

when you’re all by your lonesome

with nothing to do

 

when weariness sets in

and you just need to rest

when you fail once again

but know you tried your best

 

when the words of a song

catch hard in your throat

when you can’t even remember

the poems that you wrote

 

when the work that you do

brings friends to their knees

when the hardest of words

are thank you and please


 

when you want to reach out

with your light and your love

when you’re sinking beneath

or rising above

 

when the clouds in your eyes

give way to the rain

when you finally sit down

in the midst of your pain

 

when mistakes you have made

becomes lessons in life

when you can find peace

in the presence of strife

 

when you’re battered and torn

feel your heart can’t survive

when you are thankful

just because you’re alive

 

when thoughts flow like water

and wishes sprout wings

when you can take comfort

in the smallest of things

 

when the coffee is strong

and friends gather ‘round

when you float through life 

without touching the ground


 

when angels reach down

to softly kiss your cheek

when you can learn to be strong

and yet not harm the weak


 

when poetry speaks

all the words you can’t say

when laughter finds you

and time slips away