There are pieces of me

Scattered everywhere

Every time they left

They took a piece away

My mind is busted

The lies they told

Dissembled it every time they spoke

My soul is chopped up

Like meat through a grinder

I’ve given my all

I hung my head

I have to pray

I call out to God

It’s a guttural cry

Help me

I scream over and over

I have to make sure he hears

I have to make him take notice

Help me

I hear a sound

It sounds like

Somebody being hurt

It’s a real-life passion of the Christ

But every time I hear a lash

Or some form of torture

A piece of me appears for a second

Then it disappears again

I’m confused

I can’t lose me

I start to panic

But then I look down

I look new

I look within

My heart is mended

My mind is intact

My spirit is whole

I hear something else

It sounds like a faraway announcement

He was wounded for our transgression

He was bruised for our iniquities

The chastisement of our peace was upon him

With his stripes we are healed

I’m on my feet running in circles going nowhere

Praise bubbles from everywhere

Worship exudes from my pores

Before I was ever born

Before I ever knew my name

Before I knew any pain

Before I was like humpty dumpty

With nobody to put me together again

Jesus was the only glue

He went to Calvary

Just for broken, lil, ol me

2010