Loving you

Loving you is not a misery

The weight of my heart is not a burden

The ball and chain of fidelity

Is as spun from moonbeams light and silken

To see you, I would cover miles

I suffer separation as grief

Thoughts of you yield smiles

Your presence is a relief

Your love like clear water springs

I drink deeply and find healing

I dance with joy as my heart sings

Caught up in the glory of what I'm feeling

Loving you is not a misery

The weight of my heart is not a burden

The ball and chain of fidelity

Is as spun from moonbeams light and silken

Warrior life

I bear the scars of battle with pride

I wear them as ornaments that mark the places I've been

They tell the stories that etched the lines on my brow

And around my mouth

They are memorials to the losses

From which at times I feared I wouldn't recover

And the victories

Made a thousand times sweeter by the heavy price

I welcome curiosity

Because many stop and stare

Or wonder at the change in how I look

And I relish the chance to tell my story

I pity those who would dare pity me

Or regard my badges of honor

As burdens or blemishes

My hair was once my glory

But I traded it for courage

It rests on my head, draping over my shoulders

It flows down my back, clothing me with nobility

Though I am at times weak in body,

Emotionally drained and mentally spent

My eyes shine with strength

My spirit is a calm pool of peace

And with sheer force of will

I am determined not to merely survive

but LIVE.