Broken Hearts – Healing and Hope

Christine Valters Paintner invited us to reflect on the painting as it was the prompt for today’s poetry writing in a class that I am taking through the Abbey of the Arts (link in the painting’s caption). This past week included a long overdue trip to Minnesota to see my Dad. Walking through the Valley of the Shadows with dementia is often difficult. Even though the journey has its challenges, this past week was also a time filled with love and grace. Denise and I are both thankful for the time we had with him. The moments of laughter and love were such a gift in the midst of this journey. My first response was seeing the heart of Mother Mary at the foot of the cross. I wrote this poem as a response to the prompt and also as an invitation to go deeper in exploring my own journey.

A heart is broken 
She had been told this would happen
A sword would pierce her heart
She watched his life-blood drain away
Slowly and painfully with each beat of his heart
Slowly her heart was breaking
Her heartbeat in unison with his 
I look at the blue
A River of life coming out of the crack 
The crack is how the light of the Spirit gets in
A heart is broken
A heart that will heal
Out of the pain
Healing and hope for a new day